


Life is brigther with you by my side

by DerpyDots



Category: GFriend (Band), SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: But it will be fixed, Fluff, I broke SoonYoung's heart, Light Angst, Low-key JiSol, Multi, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Romance, high school sweethearts, non-au, slowbuild
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-07
Updated: 2016-10-07
Packaged: 2018-08-20 00:42:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 23,125
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8230304
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DerpyDots/pseuds/DerpyDots
Summary: Lee SeokMin never expected to find his soulmate at such a young age. But he wouldn't have it any other way.





	

**Author's Note:**

> We just want to thank you for wanting to read this, because we have been working on it for so long.
> 
> This actually began all the way back in June when Seventeen and Gfriend were announced as guests for Kcon. Sadly, they ended up in different cities. 
> 
> I (DerpyDots) am a big fan of both groups (Gfriend is my favorite girlgroup) and the interactions I've seen between SeokMin and Yuju always leave me feeling giddy and wanting them to be an actual couple. 
> 
> I'll stop here...but thanks once again for clicking on this story! We hope that you enjoy it!

* * *

 

Lee SeokMin had a pretty solid idea of what love was, or so he thought at the fresh age of ten. He had grown surrounded by his parents’ displays of affection, towards each other and himself as well. He couldn’t think of a time when he felt unloved, not even in school. Giving his easy going personality and bright smile it was no surprise that his classmates enjoyed SeokMin’s company.

 

As he grew older, he wished that someday he could find a person who could make him smile the same way his father did when his mother greeted him when he came home from work. Someone who could make him feel the luckiest man alive.

 

SeokMin had ‘finding his soulmate’ as his priority. Or so he thought.

 

It was a rainy afternoon, autumn had just kicked in and people still had to get used to the chilling temperatures. SeokMin was walking home with his friends when he saw something on a display TV, something that turned his world upside down. He felt his eyes water as the singer on the TV screen reached the climax of the song, and he only snapped back into reality when one of his friends tapped his shoulder. SeokMin rubbed at his eyes with the back of his hand, jogging to catch up with the rest but turning his head back to look at the screen once again.

 

“I want to become a singer.” He told his parents that same evening, when they finished dinner. “I want to make people _feel_.” Was the reason he had when his mother asked for one. SeokMin had never felt as nervous as when his parents looked at one another, his mother placing her hand over his father’s.

 

He threw himself at his parents’ arms when they agreed to his wish, and he cried. SeokMin cried because he knew that becoming a singer was his destiny, he hadn’t even started to pursue it yet but his heart was already in it.

 

Lee SeokMin, age thirteen, had decided to become a singer. ‘Finding a soulmate’ was scrapped until further notice.

 

Unsurprisingly, pursuing his dream was harder said than done. SeokMin had a good voice, a lot of potential; to name a few of the things he had heard from his friends. He signed up for every talent show and festival he could; he saved up money to get a humidifier because he read that it helped maintain his vocal chords. He did his best; he performed as if it was the last time he would be onstage. He tried to transmit his very raw emotion to the audience. SeokMin was looking for his big break, the opportunity that could make his dream become obtainable.

At the age of 15 –going on 16- he found it. His sister emailed him the information about auditions taking place at Pledis Entertainment. It wasn’t one of the Top3 but that made it sound obtainable, possible.

 

SeokMin looked over at his calendar, less than three months for the audition dates. He began to think of ways to convince his parents to let him go to Seoul and audition; he also had to practice a song. Everything started to come together the more he thought about it, but it also began to make him feel nervous.

 

His mother rubbed his back as he told her everything about the audition, when it was going to be held, where, what he planned to sing. Everything.

 

“I think you will do an excellent job.” His mother whispered and it activated the waterworks. His father came that day to SeokMin being held almost baby-like by his mother. SeokMin proceeded to tell him everything he had told his mother earlier that day. His father was a bit more hesitant, but he agreed as his wife put her hand over his.

 

With his parents’ permission, everything that was left to do was practice as much as he could. He went straight home after school and sang his song over and over again until his mother came into his room with a cup of warm tea to soothe his throat. Before he knew it, his parents were dropping him off at the station; his mother hugged him until he had to rush towards his train. SeokMin used his time in the train to listen to his song on loop, but he was soon distracted when a young couple sat on the other side of the wagon. He remembered when his number one priority was to find love, but he had to put that on hiatus if he wanted to pursue his singing career. SeokMin decided to close his eyes and rest for the remaining of the trip.

 

He still felt his hands trembling and reality finally dawned on him. Lee SeokMin, age 16, had been selected to become a trainee for Pledis Entertainment. His eyes were glistening with unshed tears of joy as the casting manager explained the process in words he could understand. He had to tell his parents about it, he had to transfer schools; he had to tell his friends that he was going to live in Seoul and become a star.

 

Everything was going to change. But SeokMin couldn’t wait. His dream was coming true.

 

 

Lee SeokMin, age 16, was now being eyed up and down by more than ten pairs of eyes. He scanned the boys that greeted him on the practice room; some of them looked like foreigners. SeokMin only hesitated for an instant before smiling like he usually did and began to introduce himself, it seemed to break the ice and the other boys started approaching him to introduce themselves.

 

That same afternoon he moved in with the other boys. The cramped dorm room felt a lot like home, even if he didn’t have the space he used to or the fact that he will have learn how to share everything with several people. He knew that this was exactly what he wanted.

 

As the alarm went off the next morning, SeokMin knew that waking up was as hard to do here as it was back home. He rubbed the sleepiness of his eyes and got up to make his way to the bathroom. Everyone was up and about, some of the boys were preparing breakfast as the others got ready for school.

“Good morning, SeokMin ah!” Someone yelled from where he was sitting on the floor trying to find a pair of socks that matched. SeokMin remembered the boy’s name almost instantly, Kwon Soon Young, one of the first ones to treat him as if they had knew each other for years. After SoonYoung’s greeting, everyone started to greet him as well and it was enough to make SeokMin feel a part of the team already.

 

SeokMin still couldn’t believe he got to wear the yellow blazer he only saw on TV. He was going to meet famous people. Famous people could be his classmates. He started to freak out a little but a reassuring hand patted him on the back.

 

“I know it can be overwhelming the first time…but people there are the same as you and me. Besides, you are not alone here.” Those were the words said by Jeon WonWoo, an older boy who went to school with him. He might look a bit intimidating at first with his emo hairstyle and serious expression, but he made SeokMin feel a lot calmer when a soft smile appeared on his lips. They walked side by side, chatting about everything and nothing until they reached the school gate and SeokMin stopped just before entering and looked on as other students walked in. WonWoo turned to look at him and smiled once again. He knew what was like to cross those gates for the first time so he let SeokMin have his moment.

 

The first day at his new school went as any first day would, the only exception being the fact that he had already seen a few familiar faces in the corridors. Still, SeokMin had no major difficulties getting along with his classmates. Someone asked if he was a trainee, to which he proudly confirmed it. After all, he was pursuing his dream.

“I’m a Pledis boy.” He announced with a smile big enough to make his eyes form little crescent moons. Some of the boys asked if he had already met After School or Hello Venus, and SeokMin was happy to answer the questions he could until the first period began.

Classes went by faster than SeokMin expected and, before he knew it, lunchtime was announced with a bell ringing through the corridors. He stood up and waited by the door for the other boys to reach him, urging them with a playful smile and teasing remarks. He was about to reach for his phone when a boy taller than him collided with his shoulder. Both students were quick to apologize to each other but, as SeokMin looked up, he realized that the other was one of the SM boys. He couldn’t catch his name yet, simply because the taller boy had really striking features that rendered SeokMin speechless when he tried to ask for the boy’s name, that and the fact that he was under SM Entertainment.

 

SeokMin wasn’t aware that his eyes followed the other boy make his way through the hallway, until a voice brought him back. “I’m pretty sure he is going to notice the holes being burned into his skull if you keep staring at him.” And he would also try to convince everyone that he did not jump in surprise, clutching his chest with both hands. He was too young to die by a heart attack.

 

“W-who…you…” SeokMin could barely form a sentence as he turned to look at the source of his premature cardiac arrest. To his surprise, his aggressor turned out to be a girl with an angelic semblance -long black hair with bangs reaching down her eyebrows. Overall, the girl was pretty.

 

“My name is Yuna…if that’s what you were gonna ask.” The girl –Yuna- told him, saving him from futile attempts at proper conversation. “I’m sorry if I scared you, but I saw the opportunity and took it.” Her smiling face made her look even prettier than before, and SeokMin was convinced that his heart would be fluttering by now if it weren’t trying to beat back into a regular pace.

 

“Lee SeokMin. I’m new here…and don’t worry, I think my heart started beating again.” It wasn’t as if Yuna asked for his name, but he figured that he should have said it sooner or later. Yuna smiled once again before nodding her head. “I kind of figured it out, you being new.” She kept her hands behind her back as she spoke. “I would love to keep talking but we only get 20 minutes to eat and I would appreciate it if I can use what I’ve got left.” SeokMin arched one of his brows at his classmate’s comment, realizing that he was blocking the door only after Yuna pointed it out. The pair said their goodbyes and SeokMin once again followed with his eyes.

 

The practice room was big, but it started to fill up as every single one of the trainees arrived. SeokMin had already been here a number of time before, when his transferring was being finalized, so he wasn’t uncomfortable anymore. All of the boys accepted him in their circle with surprising ease; he knew this because SoonYoung told him. “You arrived and it was as if you were here the whole time. I think that’s a sign.” The chubby cheeked boy smiled and looked at him afterwards. SeokMin believed in his words.

 

After the initial rush of changing routines, thing slowly started to get into shape. He would wake up in the mornings, get ready and helping the other do the same before eating breakfast made by one of the older boys –JunHui to be exact, he was one of the Chinese trainees- and then they would each take off towards their respective schools. He and WonWoo always side by side, chatting all the way, until they separated to enter their classrooms. Every day, SeokMin greeted his classroom friends, nodding politely when the SM trainee –JaeHyun, Yuna told him his name already!- looked at him, then he got to his seat and barely got his backpack on the floor when a certain someone appeared in front of him.

 

“Good morning~” Yuna always greeted him with a bright smile, proceeding to tell him about something funny she found online or about a singer she started liking. SeokMin found out that Yuna was also into singing, and he wondered if she was a trainee as well but he never found the time to ask. They shared some interests, but they were pretty different as well. SeokMin had always liked rock, Yuna was more into classical, but they both agreed that what they liked the most was the raw emotion contained in the singer’s voice. Yuna was the one to ask for his number first ( _She just took SeokMin’s smartphone and typed in her name, giving her own phone for the boy to do the same.)._ However, he was the first one to initiate conversation via text, sending her a photo of the ripped sole of his trainers with the caption ‘You think duct tape and a miracle will be enough?’ a reply came a few minutes later: several laughing emoticons and a ‘Don’t think so’. That was the start of a long going text conversation.

 

Of course there were time when neither of them replied during the afternoon, SeokMin had to catch up with everyone else and polish his vocals alongside SeungKwan –both being named ‘the vocalist’ for the time being- and Yuna obviously had other things to do. But they always had something to comment on, in person and via text.

 

One night, SeokMin was typing away his comment on a viral video sent by Yuna when he felt eyes on him; he looked over the screen of his phone to find SoonYoung and SeungKwan staring at him, matching grins on their faces. Poor SeokMin wasn’t given enough time to react when the pair launched themselves to the boy, taking away his phone.

 

“Yah! Give it back!” Was the cue to initiate a game of ‘catch me’ inside the dorm room. Some of the other boys laughed at the trio, some of them only shook their head before retreating to their own things. SeokMin managed to grab SeungKwan by the back of his shirt, to which the boy threw the phone into the awaiting hands of SoonYoung, who was already chanting victory before another hand managed to catch the device. The three boys looked at Kim Mingyu, one of the tallest of the bunch but the spirit of an overgrown puppy.

 

“Who is Yuna, hyung?” The whole dorm seemed to enter a silent void when the question was asked and over ten pairs of eyes turned to stare at SeokMin, who went over each of the boy’s faces in hopes of an answer to form in his brain.

 

“Isn’t he the girl you are always talking with at school?” WonWoo’s deep voice almost echoed on their cramped dorm and SeokMin that wasn’t the most useful answer for him.

 

1.

 

 

2.

 

 

3.

 

The boys cornered him, demanding more information about this Yuna girl who was so close to SeokMin. Some of them wanted details on who she was and what she did.

 

“Is she pretty?” HanSol asked, getting a “She is!” from Mingyu who started scrolling up the text conversation and came across a picture Yuna had sent him. It was the one in which she had her hair up in a messy bun and post-its pasted under her eyes to simulate her crying. Mingyu passed the phone for everyone to look at the photo, praising the girl for her good looks. SeokMin wasn’t sure why he felt envious all of a sudden, maybe because Yuna was _his_ friend and the pictures were meant to be seen by _him._

 

“Is she a trainee?” Chan –one of the younger boys- asked, and SeokMin only shrugged because she truly didn’t know. He never brought the topic up, even if he told Yuna everything that went down during his practice. “I don’t know,” he answered, earning himself a few groans and eye rolls.

 

The Q&A session went on for a while, everyone had at least a question about Yuna and SeokMin answered the ones he could –and wanted- but soon everyone slowly started to go back to their own thing, getting ready for bed and school the next day. The only one who stayed with SeokMin a bit longer was SeungCheol, the eldest.

 

“You must really like this girl if you hid her from everyone.” SeungCheol started, taking SeokMin by surprise with this kind of question. “It is not like that, hyung! She is my friend” he was eager to dismiss the older boy’s assumption, feeling his cheeks heat up with embarrassment. That only earned him a knowing smile from SeungCheol.

 

“Just be careful, alright?” Was the final thing SeungCheol said before going into his bedroom. SeokMin stared at the door leading to the room where the older boys slept, an eyebrow raised in confusion to what the other boy truly meant.

 

Even with his teammates’ teasing about Yuna, SeokMin didn’t felt different when he talked or texted with her. They still shared the most random things or just talked about their days. Sometimes, SeokMin would send pictures with some of the boys and caption them with something related to the song they rehearsed, she often told him to tell the others hi on her behalf (Everyone went crazy when that happened). Yuna sometimes sent pictures with another girl in their class –EunBi was her name- letting SeokMin know that she also cheered for him and his team.

 

Summer break came in the blink of an eye, and with it an extended practice session. SeokMin swore his legs were not a part of him anymore, but his throat didn’t feel as sore thanks to the humidity of the air. Summer also meant that he didn’t get to see Yuna everyday now, only texting had to do for the time being.

 

_‘Have you ever tried videocalling?’_ a text from Yuna read. SeokMin was convinced that his heartbeat was at a normal rate even when he sensed the implication on the message. _‘Only with my parents. Why?’_ Better play it safe, SeokMin thought. He waited for Yuna to reply, but a videocall request appeared instead, freaking SeokMin out, as he made sure that he was in decent clothing. He accepted the call when he noted that a plain white tee and jeans were decent enough.

 

“Hello! Missed me? You had to live without seeing this face for a week already.” Yuna’s voice came from the screen of his phone, making him smile almost instantly. SeokMin was glad that he was alone in his bedroom. “And here I thought that I was finally free.” He exaggerated a sigh before his eyes formed crescent moons thanks to his smile. They felt into an easygoing conversation after the initial greetings, almost if they were in the classroom every morning. SeokMin even started a tour of his shared bedroom, telling Yuna which bed was his; he even showed her his humidifier when she saw it on the background. He was in the middle of telling Yuna what he had for lunch when the bedroom door swung open.

 

“SeokMin hyung dinner is-“ Mingyu stopped in his tracks when he saw SeokMin talking to his screen. Talking to his screen which had a girl in it, and the girl was moving. SeokMin was talking to a girl, but the girl was not any girl. The girl was Yuna. SeokMin was videocalling Yuna.

 

Both boys stood still before Mingyu talked once again. “Hyung! Aren’t you going to introduce me?” the tanned boy walked closer until he was inside the range of the video. “Hello! I’m Mingyu!” said boy waved both of his hands, smile showing his sharp canines. SeokMin spluttered before talking properly. “Yuna this is Mingyu, one of my teammates. He doesn’t know how to knock on doors.” The girl laughed at this, covering part of her face with one hand and waving with the other. “Nice to meet you, Mingyu. My name is Yuna.”

 

“Believe me when I say that we know who you are.” Mingyu’s playful tone sent a wave of dread down SeokMin’s back and before he could do something, Mingyu was already out of the door.

 

“SEOKMIN HYUNG IS VIDEOCALLING YUNA!!” Mingyu’s booming voice cracked a bit at the end, but it didn’t matter because it was as if you opened a bag of chips in the middle of the beach and you could sense the seagulls coming for you. In this case, the seagulls were his teammates and the bag of chips was the videocall with Yuna.

 

“I’m so sorry.” SeokMin looked at Yuna on the screen, taking in her confused face. “Why are you-“ In an instant, the room filled with everyone trying to catch a glimpse at SeokMin’s phone. “Oh…” was everything the girl said before she took in the sight before her.

 

It didn’t went as badly as one would have thought. SeungCheol came to the rescue and told everyone that they had to behave if they wanted to meet Yuna. They had to move to the living room because the bedroom was just too cramped, SeokMin apologizing every now and then, making Yuna laugh wholeheartedly.

 

SeokMin introduced each one of his teammates to Yuna, who happily talked with every single one of them for a bit. “Sorry about that.” SeokMin rubbed the back of his neck after he went inside his room again, locking the door this time. Yuna laughed and assured him that she enjoyed talking to his teammates. They kept chatting for a while until Yuna told him that she had to go. SeokMin wished her a goodnight before letting Yuna end the call. That night SeokMin went to bed with a smile on his lips.

 

The pair kept messaging and videocalling during the summer break and when they saw each other at school they just kept they daily routine of greeting each other in the mornings and talking in between classes.

 

SeokMin often felt as if his body couldn’t take another day of intensive training, it was both mentally and physically draining, but the aches of his body faded as soon as he saw a text from Yuna or when the girl talked about something she saw the previous day. There were some times when SeokMin wondered if Yuna was also training to become an idol like he did. She always went home with other girls in their school, some of them appearing in the photos she often sends.

 

‘Look!’ said the newest text Yuna sent him, a picture of a small bakery attached to it. ‘Seems nice~’ was SeokMin’s simple response. They were practicing and the cameras were transmitting their shenanigans live for the fans to watch and become more attached to them, the only time he was able to reply was when he went into the camera’s blind spot. Yuna understood when he told her why he was taking longer when texting back.

 

“She wants you to go with her.” JeongHan’s voice came from over his shoulder and SeokMin almost fell to the ground in surprise. He raised one of his eyebrows and the older boy repeated his sentence before letting SeokMin tie two and two together.

 

“Of course she wants you to ask her out!” Was what SoonYoung told him when he showed him the text on the way back to the dorms. He had gone back and forth on what to reply. “I can’t believe you couldn’t tell…” the dancer shook his head before stuffing his hands into his pockets. SeokMin stopped to look at his phone once again.

 

‘Sorry for the late reply ;; Tough day today.’ He sent that first before quickly typing something that made his heart beat faster than ever.

 

‘And about the place…you want to go? It’ll be my treat~’ SeokMin hit sent and pocketed his phone before sprinting to where the other walked ahead. He pressed his face on the back of Jisoo’s coat in an attempt to hide his burning face. SeokMin whined when he felt his phone vibrate inside his pocket and he was certain that the American boy giggled at him.

 

“What did she say?” SoonYoung asked. SeungKwan and him had followed SeokMin into his room and demanded to know if he asked Yuna out or not. SeokMin still hadn’t opened the text and was now lying face down in one of the beds, cellphone tightly grasped in his hand. “Yah!” SeungKwan hit him with one of the pillows before he tried to steal SeokMin’s phone. The pair started a game of tug-o-war that ended with both on the floor and the phone sent flying in the air. SoonYoung snatched the device before it hit the ground.

 

“Read it! What did she say?!” SoonYoung threw the phone to SeokMin’s face and the boy groaned in pain. SeokMin sat up while rubbing the soreness in his nose. There were dozens of scenarios going through his head and it only made him fell more anxious. What if she said no? What if things turned awkward after this? SeokMin never dated anyone before, being to engrossed in pursuing his dream had turned his attention away from girls around him. He didn’t know why all of this was making feel anxious. Yuna was always a good friend to him, the thought of dating her never crossed his mind until everyone started teasing him about her. He liked her, he knew that for sure. But…he also knew that sometimes Yuna made his heart beat faster in the blink of an eye.

 

SeokMin never talked about relationships with his parents, but he had mentioned something to SeungCheol a few days back. SeokMin told the older boy how he felt weird when Yuna smiled at him every morning at school. ‘Weird?’ SeungCheol had asked for a clearer explanation and SeokMin told him that he felt as if his heart was going to escape from his ribcage every time Yuna laughed at one of his jokes or when she sent him photos of what she was doing. SeungCheol laughed as he patted SeokMin on the back. ‘You will figure it out soon’ was the last thing he said before JeongHan called SeungCheol and everybody knew that ever since JeongHan joined them, SeungCheol followed him everywhere he went.

 

“Earth to SeokMin! Are you gonna read the text or not?” SeungKwan sounded desperate now, just second away from trying to snatch the phone from SeokMin once more. SeokMin voiced his concerns to them, asking them what would happen if she turned him down.

 

“There is only one way to know.” SoonYoung placed a supportive hand on his shoulder. SeokMin nodded at the dancer and took a deep breath before opening Yuna’s text.

 

 

 

The cold air bit at his cheeks as he sprinted down the streets. He was a running a bit late thanks to SeungCheol lecturing him to be careful and discreet. They weren’t set to debut soon but Seventeen already had a growing following. “You never know when a fan might spot you!” SeungCheol had said while giving SeokMin a black facemask he deemed unnecessary but still wore to cover himself from the cold.

 

SeokMin arrived to the coffee house, taking some time to catch his breath before peeking inside the building. He looked around before he spotted Yuna sitting on a table by the back, a white facemask covering the lower portion of her face. Yuna lifted her gaze from her phone and looked over at SeokMin. He could tell that Yuna was smiling even if her mouth was covered.

 

Yuna nodded her head as a greeting before lowering her facemask. “I’m really glad that you came.” SeokMin told her as he took off his own mask. “You think that I would let a free food opportunity pass? I thought you knew me better!” Yuna assured him that she was joking and they both laughed. “I’m happy that you invited me.” She confessed shyly, looking at SeokMin before smiling once again.

 

SeokMin ordered for the both of them, giving the waiter their menus before looking back at Yuna. They didn’t struggle to start a conversation, after all they talked every single day. However, today felt different but in a good way. It was like the first time Yuna videocalled him only ten times better.

 

“You look very pretty~” Even if she was wearing a coat to cover herself from the cold weather, Yuna dressed nicely to meet him. She had a simple yet chic style, SeokMin liked that about her. He didn’t know if it was his imagination or the lighting of the place, but he was sure that a soft rose color tinted Yuna’s cheek after his compliment. She kicked him under the table but her cheeks turned pinkier when SeokMin told her once again how pretty she was.

 

Their food arrived moments later and they shared with the other. SeokMin was lost in thought about how adorable it would be if Yuna smeared whipped cream on her face. “You eat like a baby.” Yuna pressed a napkin to his face when SeokMin got whipped cream on his chin. She laughed at SeokMin’s embarrassed smile.

 

SeokMin paid for their food as he had promised, opening the door for Yuna when they got out of the coffee house. They wandered down the streets, looking at the store displays and snapping photos of each other doing funny poses.

 

“We don’t have a picture together!” Yuna said when they sat down in a bench. She lifted her phone and slid closer to SeokMin before snapping a photo of them together. They were wearing their facemasks but you could tell that they were smiling from the way their eyes shined in the picture. Yuna showed him the photo as she promised to send it to him later and it was in that moment that SeokMin realized something, she lifted her gaze and locked eyes with SeokMin and smiled brightly. SeokMin knew that Yuna wasn’t just a friend anymore.

 

Lee SeokMin, age 16, just realized that he was falling for a girl named Choi Yuna, the girl she met at school and who he talked with every single day.

 

SeokMin got to the dorms after he and Yuna parted ways at the subway station. He tried to be as stealthy as possible, but all of his teammates were waiting for him in the living room. They demanded to know every single detail about his date and SeokMin was more than happy to tell them. He showed them the pictures he took but he didn’t tell them about his newfound feelings for the girl. He did tell SeungCheol when everything calmed down, both boys sitting by the foot of the elder’s bed.

 

“I think I figured it out now.” SeokMin told the older boy, SeungCheol smiled and patted the vocalist’s back. “I told you, didn’t I?” The leader sighed when SeokMin asked how did he knew that he liked Yuna as more than a friend before he realized it himself.

 

“Intuition, you could say.” JeongHan stepped inside the room to tell them that dinner was ready before leaving without closing the door. “Personal experience would be my answer.” SeokMin looked at the other in confusion; SeungCheol just shrugged and left the room.

 

Yuna sent him the photo later that night. ‘I had a lot of fun today! We should do it again soon!’ read the caption attached to the picture. SeokMin saved the photo and made it his wallpaper. ‘I’ll be more than happy!!’ he replied, adding a heart at the end.

 

The holidays passed and the company gave them permission to visit their parents, at least for the ones that lived in Korea. Some of the foreign members tagged along with the other boys, JunHui went with WonWoo –Mingyu invited himself to Wonwoo’s house after he found out of this arrangement-. Joshua was supposed to go with JeongHan’s family but he told the other boy that HanSol insisted he went to his; JeongHan smiled knowingly before assuring Jisoo that is wasn’t a big deal.  

 

Everyone said their goodbyes to the others and they shared holiday wishes and promises to share pictures on the group chat. Of course, SoonYoung couldn’t leave without a teasing “Tell Yuna we wish her a Merry Christmas!” unleashing a series of whistles and nudging as SeokMin blushed. Ever since that first date their dynamics starting changing, they still talked about the most random things, but now they also talked about when they would go out again. Yuna told him about places she wanted to visit and she added hearts to some texts now. SeokMin happily responded with hearts as well.

 

Yuna sent him a picture on Christmas Eve wishing him a Merry Christmas; it was a photo of her standing by the Christmas tree in her house. SeokMin replied with a photo of him and his sister. ‘Noona wanted to send good wishes too~’ was the caption for the photo. Yuna told him to say hello in her stead and to wish his family a Merry Christmas. SeokMin texted her for a while longer until his sister sat close to him.

 

“So…” his sister began, wiggling her eyebrows at him. SeokMin played dumb for a bit before his smile gave him away. He told his sister about Yuna, that they were classmates and that they shared interest in singing. His sister listened as SeokMin rambled on and on about the girl, smiling softly at his brother. They were called to dinner by their parents and SeokMin’s family were more than happy to hear about his activities with the group. SeokMin’s mom even told him that she had watched a few of their live transmission and proceeded to ask how the other boys treated him. It was nice having the opportunity to spend some time with his family, even if he had to go back the next day. That night SeokMin went to bed in his old room and struggled to fall asleep without the sound of other people doing their nightly routines.

 

All of the boys got to celebrate New Year’s Eve together, it was a small party in their dorm but everyone was pretty excited. SeungCheol made a toast just before the countdown began, he thanked everyone for doing their best for the team and reminded them that their goal was just around the corner. SeokMin couldn’t believe that a years had almost passed since he joined this team, he didn’t regret any second of it.

 

They chanted the countdown together, hands clasped with each other as the number slowly reached zero and the beginning of a new year was announced. Some of the boys made kissy faces to the others, claiming that they were following the tradition. SeokMin swore that he saw WonWoo blush after Mingyu pecked him on the cheek, but he wasn’t going to comment about it, not when his phone vibrated with a notification.

 

‘Happy New Year!’ was the message Yuna sent one minute after midnight, a picture of her wearing a big pair of party glasses attached as well. SeokMin smiled before he asked his teammates to get ready for a picture. Everyone cramped together in order to fit on the screen and SeokMin snapped the photo after counting to three. He sent the picture to Yuna and typed ‘Happy New Year from Seventeen!’, he later added a ‘But specially from me’ and finished with a heart.

 

SeokMin hadn’t realized it yet, but he almost reached the one year mark since everything changed for him. A year ago, he was just a boy trying to pursue his dream, now he was one step closer to stand in stage and give himself to an audience. A notification brought him back from his thoughts. He reached for his phone and couldn’t stop the smile that appeared on his face everytime he read a text from Yuna.

 

SeokMin hesitated on the send button, instead dialing Yuna’s number and pressing ‘Call’. It only took two rings before Yuna picked up, greeting SeokMin with a playful air laced to her voice. They talked as if they were standing in front of each other and it only made the need to see Yuna even bigger.

 

“Let’s go out.” Straight to the point, no backing out. “We can go to Myeongdong.” SeokMin was certain that his heart was going to burst out any second now. Asking someone out by phone was way different than doing it by text. Thankfully, Yuna said yes almost immediately. They agreed to meet Friday at 6PM, SeokMin was set to meet Yuna at the subway station and they will arrive together. Yuna said goodbye after that, wishing him a goodnight. “Tell everyone I said hi!” They hung up only after SeokMin assured her that he would send her greetings to the rest.

 

The only thing SeokMin needed to do was telling one of the boys to cover for him. Friday was one of the days were their practice extended until late at night, he also had to record his lines for the songs they were preparing for their show. SeokMin wondered if he had his lines ready before Friday he could leave early. Only one person could answer him.

 

“Let me get this straight.” Jihoon rubbed at his temples while he slumped back on his chair. He might look small and adorable on the outside, but everyone knew that it ended there. SeokMin tried really hard not to shake in fear as Jihoon stared straight at him. “You want to hand in your lines early…and you want me to help you.” SeokMin opened his mouth to answer, but Jihoon cut him off. “You want me to stay back with you and go over your lines until they are ready and handed in 3 days earlier.” SeokMin already knew that Jihoon was going to lash out on him and assure him that he was an idiot for thinking that he could get ahead on their planned schedule.

 

“I’m sorry for aski-“ “Okay. I’ll help you.”

 

SeokMin was in the middle of his apology speech when Jihoon’s words sank in. Wait. Jihoon agreed to help him.

 

“Don’t look at me like that. I’m not a complete asshole.” He got up from his chair and grabbed SeokMin’s folder, scanning the music sheets where his lines were highlighted. “But you owe me.” SeokMin frantically nodded as he stood up and engulfed the smaller boy in a crushing hug. Later, as he nursed a bruised leg, SeokMin decided that he would ask Jihoon before he hugged him again.

 

The subway was always busy during the weekends, groups of friends and young couples filling the train almost to the brim. SeokMin arranged his facemask as a group of young girls walked past him, pushing his thick-rimmed glasses up the bridge of his nose. Seventeen was gathering more fans with every transmission and he had to be more careful, SeungCheol warned him before he left the practice room that day.

 

SeokMin leaned against one of the walls, sending a quick text to Yuna to let her know he was there already. She didn’t reply, but a soft “SeokMin ah?” got his attention. A wave of nervousness invaded him as he thought that a fan spotted him, but he soon relaxed when his eyes locked on Yuna’s.

 

“I wasn’t sure if it was you, because…” she pointed to his head, eyes twinkling as she smiled. He had dyed the top of his head blond a couples days back. “It suits you.” Yuna added, reaching up to brush her finger through his colored strands. “It was SoonYoung’s idea.” He explained, lowering his head and convincing himself that the heat on his cheeks was because of his scarf.

 

They boarded the subway together, easily starting a conversation about anything and trying to muffle their laughter to avoid disturbing the other passengers. Yuna wasn’t wearing her facemask this time, and SeokMin found himself struggling to form coherent sentences when she smiled at him. It wasn’t long before they reached their stop, but getting out was difficult with all the other passengers struggling to do the same. SeokMin didn’t think twice before he reached for Yuna’s hand, his heart beating against his ribcage hard enough to hurt. Neither of them let go even as they left the station and ventured into the streets.

 

Yuna made SeokMin follow her inside the stores that caught her eye, convincing him to try on different hair accessories and snapping pictures of him as she laughed. Her smaller hand always reached for his as they exited stores, SeokMin couldn’t be happier everytime their fingers laced together.

 

Everything was going fine, they slowly began acting like any other young couple would and SeokMin felt himself letting go. He had lowered his mask to talk freely, smiling as wide as his face allowed him. He was having the time of his life, feeling as if he was just a boy and not a trainee. And that’s when it happened.

 

“Do you think it’s pretty?” Yuna held a small keychain in front of his face; it was a pair of cartoon angels holding each other’s tiny hands. SeokMin nodded his head, smiling as Yuna beamed at him. He reached for the keychain and made his way to the register, telling the cashier he was ready to buy. The girl behind the register scanned the keychain without looking up. “That would be 5,000 won.” The cashier’s voice slowly faded as she lifted her gaze, and SeokMin saw her do a double take before widening her eyes. He quickly paid and took the small paper bag before urging Yuna out of the store. She didn’t question anything, even when he gave her the bag with the keychain before pulling up his facemask.

 

“I’m sorry…It’s just that…I think she knew who I was and I panic-“ SeokMin’s muffled rambling was interrupted when Yuna pulled down his mask and brushed her lips against his, her eyes fluttering shut and eyelashes tickling SeokMin’s cheeks. She pulled away seconds after, a prominent blush coloring her face and a shy smile on her lips.

 

“I like you, SeokMin ah. I really do.” Yuna confessed softly, hiding her face against SeokMin’s chest. SeokMin stood frozen for a beat or two before his face burned red. He looked down at Yuna and smiled so impossibly wide as he leaned forward and whispered in her ear. “I like you too.”

 

They held hands for the rest of their date, exchanging glances and shy smiles. “We should take a picture together.” Yuna suggested, reaching for her smartphone. SeokMin rested his chin on her shoulder, smiling as she snapped the photo. “It’s going to be my new wallpaper.” She claimed, typing a few times on her phone before pocketing it and reaching for SeokMin’s hand.

 

SeokMin only let go of Yuna’s hand when they had to go their separate ways at the subway station. He kissed her cheek, whispering a “Call me when you get home.” Before letting her go. He stayed on the station until he could no longer see Yuna amongst the crowd; he pulled up his mask and spun on his heel to walk back to the dorms.

 

The other members were waiting for him when he opened the door to the dorm, instantly bombarded with questions. He answered with ease, avoiding the small incident with the cashier. SeokMin made eye contact with SeungCheol and it was the cue for the leader to start sending everyone to bed. Only when all the other boys went to their bedroom did SeokMin talk about what happened, about how he forwent his mask and how he was sure that the girl knew who he was.

 

“Did she saw you two together?” SeungCheol’s voice was serious and SeokMin kept his head down as he denied it. “She only saw me.” The leader sighed, patting SeokMin on the back to comfort him. “Then don’t worry about it. Just be careful next time, okay?” SeokMin nodded, telling SeungCheol about what had happened afterwards. After all, Yuna was the first girl he kissed.

 

Both boys talked for a while, about what went through on the practice room that day and the plans they agreed for their next show. It was only when the door to the older member’s room opened and JeongHan pocked his head out, hair disheveled and eyes barely open, telling SeungCheol to ‘hurry up and come to bed’ that the boys called it a night.

 

As school began after the winter break, SeokMin couldn’t be more happier to see Yuna every day. They kept most of their displays of affection to a minimum, after all everyone in their classroom knew that SeokMin was set to debut in a group and it only took a single comment for a rumor to spread amongst SNS. However, SeokMin still did little things to show Yuna how much he cared for her. Yuna always found a packet of chips or cookies waiting for her at lunchbreak, a ‘get home safe’ text when she left the school, or just a bright smile welcoming her every morning when entering the classroom.

 

They still texted each other during their free time, SeokMin sometime sending Yuna clips of their rehearsals and Yuna replying with words of encouragement for the boys. One day, as SeokMin slouched against the mirror after a general rehearsal for their coming show, he reached for his phone and opened the clip Yuna sent. Their noisy practice room slowly went silent as a powerful singing voice filled the room.

 

“Is that…” SeungKwan had come closer to peek at SeokMin’s phone. Yuna had sent a video of her singing ‘Let it go’, displaying her strong vocals that seemed to amaze not only SeokMin but the rest of the boys as well. They crowded around SeokMin to watch until the girl flawlessly wrapped up the song. The boys were left speechless even after the video ended, SeungCheol having to urge everyone to go over their set list one more time. Even when the rest of his team went to their designated positions, SeokMin stayed back for a bit to type back a ‘That was incredible…’ and send it to Yuna, who replied with a winking emoticon.

 

SeokMin knew that Yuna was a singer, she had told him when they first met, but he never knew how good she was. “Do you think she is training to debut? She´s too good.” SeungKwan brought back the topic as they made their way towards their dorms once practice was over. SeokMin only shrugged, but the other boys didn’t hesitate to voice their opinions. In the end, they were 100% that Yuna had to be a trainee. SeokMin waved them off, changing the subject to something mundane.

 

As days went by, their rehearsal became tougher and more stressful. They had to give their all on the stage, their fans rooted for them. Their future as a group depended on every stage they presented; every single mistake would enlarge the breach between them and their goal.

 

SeokMin sighed, biting the inside of his cheek to prevent him from snapping at the others when they decided to go over a song that was fine already. “Let’s go over it one more time. Las time, I swear.” SeungKwan said and the rest of the vocalist agreed. They were presenting an arrangement Jisoo put all his effort in and SeokMin understood that everyone wanted it to be perfect from start to finish, but he just felt so tired and drained. Just as the first strings of Jisoo’s guitar echoed in the small studio, SeokMin excused himself and hurried outside of the building.

 

He walked down the streets, texting SeungKwan that he needed some air and assured them not to worry about him. SeokMin ventured in the streets, the cold air cashing against him, reminding him that his jacket was left hanging at the practice room.

 

His pacing came to a halt, and SeokMin leaned his forehead against the cold bricks of a building. He reached for his phone; dialing the number he knew by heart and waited for the other side to pick up.

 

“SeokMin ah! Is everything alright?” his mother’s voice was overwhelming to hear and he couldn’t stop the tears from falling down his face. SeokMin began to tell her everything, how they were doing another show, about the live transmissions. He also told her everything that worried him, if the fans were willing to wait for them, if he was really going to make it. Standing in a cold city street with his head against a wall, SeokMin felt like a little kid who needed his mother more than anything in the world.

 

The calm tone that his mother always had when talking slowly started to calm him down, she told him about how everyone back home knew he was going to make it big. It didn’t matter if he had to wait for weeks, months, or even years because he was set to amaze everyone with his voice.

 

“Mom…I need to tell you something.”

 

SeokMin waited until his mother urged him to go on before telling her about Yuna. He gave every detail about how they met at school and that they were going out when possible. “She makes me happy.” His voice came out dreamily and his mother giggled because of it. “I know you’ll love her if you meet her.” Suddenly, he picture the both of them going to his parent’s house, SeokMin introducing Yuna to his family as his…

 

His mother let him go after saying more encouraging words to him, promising to call or text him as often as possible. They hung up and SeokMin made to pocket his phone, a notification stopping him from doing so. He had several texts from the worried members, but the one he paid extra attention was the most recent one, a text from Yuna telling him to do his best. The smile on his face was enough to lit up the whole street. He started to make his way back to the company building, feeling warm even if the air was getting colder by the second.

 

Their show was a success, the fans going crazy with their performances, and the CEO granted them with a weekend off. Some of the boys wanted to rest at the dorms or do an express visit to their parents, but the others planned a visit to the amusement park.

 

“We don’t know if we will able to go out like this!” Was the reason SoonYoung gave when no one asked for it. Six of them were already set to buy the tickets and Mingyu asked him if he wanted to join, and he didn’t need much convincing. WonWoo asked him if he wanted to tell Yuna to come as well. “Call her!” He told the vocalist when SeokMin didn’t answer right away.

 

He went inside one of the rooms and called her, the call picking up after a couple rings. “SeokMin ah~ Hello!” SeokMin knew she was smiling just from hearing her voice. “Hi~ Listen…the boys are buying tickets for the amusement park this Saturday and I want you to come with me.” SeokMin didn’t wait for an answer before he continued. “I want you to meet them…in person.” He could feel how his heartbeat sped up and thumped against his ribcage. “And I want to introduce you as my girlfriend. Is that okay?”

 

The line went silent for a few seconds, but to SeokMin they felt like so much more, until a soft “Yes” came from the other line. “That means I can introduce you as my boyfriend now?” Yuna’s voice held a teasing tone and it made SeokMin laugh as he agreed. They ended the call a couple of minutes later, each of them wishing the other a good night.

 

SeokMin joined the others in the living room, telling them that he would need one more ticket. He glanced towards WonWoo, smiling as they made eye contact.

 

Lee SeokMin, age 17, felt like the happiest man alive.

 

When Saturday came, the boys were already eager to arrive to Lotte World. They left the dorms at 10AM, wanting to avoid the hot hours in the subway. SeokMin told Yuna to meet them at Jamsil station, it gave him some time to handle his friends on his own. He was nervous to introduce the boys to Yuna in person, he wanted her to like them because they were an important part of him, and he also wanted the boys to like Yuna.

 

The trip on the subway went by in a blink, they all chatted and laughed until WonWoo told them their stop was next. They got down the train and made their way off the platform, SeokMin reaching for his phone to call Yuna. “SeokMin ah!” Said boy turned his head towards the voice, face splitting into a big smile as he spotted Yuna jogging towards them. SeokMin wrapped his arms around her as she pecked him on the cheek. They broke apart when a cough came from one of the boys. SeokMin placed a hand on Yuna’s back ar he turned towards his friends.

 

“Everyone, this is Yuna.” He smiled at her before turning his attention to his teammates. “My girlfriend~” He couldn’t contain the warmness that spread on his chest as he said the word out loud. And he could tell that the others boys were happy to see him like this. Yuna nodded her head as a greeting and the boys started to introduce themselves. She didn’t hesitate to start a playful conversation with SeungKwan and SoonYoung, the three of them walking ahead of the rest.

 

“You didn’t need to worry that much.” WonWoo said as he walked by his side, Mingyu latched to his arm like an overgrown baby. SeokMin agreed with him, tension falling from his shoulders as he saw how Yuna got along with his friends. SoonYoung gave their tickets to each of them, walking inside the venue together.

 

They decided to try the rides from the outside section because they would be emptier given the hour. The line for Gyro Spin seemed to move faster so the group hurried over there. “Missed me?” SeokMin looked at his side to find Yuna smiling at him, he reached for her hand as they settled on the queue for the game. “Very much. I thought I had to ride all by myself.” He pouted at her, earning a playful shove from the girl. He laughed as he heard SeungKwan pretended to throw up as the couple continued being lovey-dovey with each other. “Yah! You’re just jealous!” His voice didn’t carry any heat and it earned him laughs from the rest of their group, even Jihoon snickered behind his facemask.

 

It wasn’t long before they climbed on the game, Mingyu winning so WonWoo held his hands during the ride. SeokMin laughed when SeungKwan cried for his mother when the game gained speed, Jun babbled in Chinese as he kicked his long legs into the air and SoonYoung recited his last wishes to all of them. They were having the time of their lives as the ride spun from side to side. Yuna’s excited screams made him feel even happier.

 

“I think a part of me died up there…” SoonYoung scrambled to hold himself from the staircase handles as they got off the attraction, already deciding to try Gyro Drop next. The line wasn’t too long and it moved fast since it carried a lot of people at once. “You guys can go on without me.” Jihoon stood outside the queue, hands in his pockets and starting to walk towards a bench nearby. SeokMin tried to persuade him to join them but it was useless.

 

SoonYoung climbed on the railing and off the line, smiling at the rest as he walked backwards. “My heart is not ready for this so I’m going to keep Jihoon some company.” The dancer claimed as he jogged to where the shorter boy was. They didn’t question any further, chatting with each other until they climbed into the ride.

 

“Why did you get out?” Jihoon asked as the other boy plopped down next to him. “You like those.” He pointed his chin towards the ride, kicking a non-existent pebble with his foot. SoonYoung hummed, as if he was really pondering his answer. Jihoon got a bit impatient after a while, getting ready to curse at the other boy. “But you don’t.” SoonYoung looked at the vocalist and grinned, getting off the bench. “We have time to eat something. Come on, I’ll even pay for you.” The dancer reached out a hand to the shorter boy. Jihoon snorted but got up and walked towards the other. Neither of them spoke again until they reached a snack vendor, SoonYoung paying for everything even if Jihoon strongly refused. They sat down in the same bench, eating their corndogs in silence until SoonYoung spoke again. “Besides…I like you more.”

 

The silence that stretched between them was cut short when the rest of their group joined them after getting of the ride, all of them with matching pale faces after the rough game. They all decided to go to the inside of the park, opting to try calmer rides for a bit before feeling ready to jump on the thrilling attractions. Which was completely forgotten once they laid their eyes on the Conquistador swinging from side to side. All of them hurried over to line up, even Jihoon failed to hide hi excitement over the iconic ride.

 

The group ended up splitting into two once they climbed into the big ship, SeokMin sitting with Yuna, JunHui and Mingyu –who whined when WonWoo went in the opposite direction of the ship. SeokMin couldn’t control his laughter as the butterflies in his stomach tickled him everytime their side went down. Yuna let him cling onto her, happy screams leaving her mouth when the ride picked up speed.

 

“I think we have to wear the mask now.” WonWoo suggested when they were simply walking around the inside venue. There were more people now that afternoon started to kick in, more teenage girls that could recognize one of them and snap one picture or thousands. They all pulled their facemasks to cover from their nose down, even Yuna put on her white facemask before holding hands with SeokMin, eyes finding his and crinkling into half-moons.

 

Having to keep a low profile didn’t stop them from having fun, and eventually they made their way out in the open were the more extreme rides waited for them. The sun was only a couple of hours away from setting, giving the whole park a soft pinkish orange ambient light.

 

Jihoon walked with his hands inside his pockets, barely listening to whatever SeungKwan bickered to the rest of them when he turned in time to see the flying chairs. “Looks fun.” He was sure that nobody heard when he said that, but maybe he was wrong. “You want to try it?” SoonYoung seemed to appear by his side out of nowhere. Jihoon pressed his lips together, looking at the dancer before gazing back at the ride. “Guys! Let’s go on this one!” SoonYoung really needed to learn to be more subtle with his voice, especially when they tried to blend in. Everyone agreed happily, standing in line to wait for their turn.

 

The ride turned out to be really fun, Jihoon decided once they got off. “Thank you.” He had pulled on SoonYoung’s sleeve to put some distance between the rest and them, head looking down and words slightly muffled by his mask. But SoonYoung heard him, if the brightness in his thin eyes was anything to go by. Jihoon sped up his pace before he put much thought into anything, joining the group and hoping that none of them heard his rapid heartbeat.

 

It was almost 9PM when the boys reached their dorms, SeokMin having said goodbye to Yuna at the subway station with a chaste kiss and a ‘text me when you get home’. Mingyu proceeded to tell the other members how fun their outing was while they went on with their nightly routines.

 

SeokMin flopped down on one of the couches, folding his legs when one of the boys went to sit down with him. He had a text from Yuna telling him that she arrived safely. SeokMin was about to text her when she sent a couples of pictures, the first one was of the group when they were standing in line for one of the rides, all of them managing to fit into one photo; and the other one was when SeokMin snapped a picture with Yuna in front of the carrousel. ‘I had so much fun today!’ Yuna’s following text read, to which SeokMin replied with a ‘It was one of the best days I’ve had, because of you…girlfriend~’ He was certain that he wouldn’t get tired of callingYuna his girlfriend, because his heart felt warm everytime he did. The couple exchanged a few texts, all of them filled with hearts and the words ‘boyfriend’ and ‘girlfriend’; Yuna said goodnight first and SeokMin stood up to show the photo to the rest of his group.

 

Days seemed to go by very quickly, all of them preparing to become a boygroup worth debuting. Practices became more tiring and demanding each day, they needed to show that they could do better than before. SeokMin felt his body ready to give in several times, but he always had a text from Yuna to cheer him on, she was always there at school with a smile on her face that made all of his worries wash away. He knew that if it wasn’t for that extra support he could have gone home in defeat, feeling drained and exhausted. Some of the other trainees couldn’t handle the overwhelming pressure set on their shoulders and left to never come back.

 

SeokMin found himself calling Yuna one night, crying on the phone as soon as she picked up. She only listened to him as he went on and on about how everything was too much, he cried because he saw how others quitted and left. “I know you won’t quit. This is your dream, SeokMin ah…I believe in you.” Yuna’s voice was soft, probably because it was late at night, but SeokMin found comfort in it nonetheless. They said their goodbyes shortly after that, each of them hanging up before wishing the other a goodnight.

 

SeokMin slept with a smile on his face that night.

 

School ended and summer vacation came once again, and the boys were happy to go and visit the beach for a day when the company gave them permission. They decided to go by train, all of them waking up at the crack of dawn to leave for Gangwon-do. They only carried the bare necessities, swimming trunks, sunblock and the clothes on them.

 

Going away together made everything more exciting, it was their escape from reality for just a day. SeungCheol made sure to give each of them their own ticket before they went down to the platform, counting heads to make sure everyone was there.

 

SeokMin sat down on one of the benches, playing around with his phone to kill some time. He had texted Yuna the night before, telling her that he would send as many pictures as possible. It was too early for her to be awake and SeokMin didn’t want to disturb her by sending a message. He could do it later when he was on the train.

 

The other boys were scattered on the platform, a few of them had gone to pick up snacks for the rest of them. SeokMin saw Chan snoozing with his head on SoonYoung’s shoulder while the dancer chatted happily with MingHao and JunHui, HanSol had his chin on Jisoo’s shoulder as they rambled on in English. “You are staring.” WonWoo’s deep voice made SeokMin look at him, arching one of his brows before widening his eyes when he realized what WonWoo meant. “I didn’t meant to…I was just-“ WonWoo’s breathy laugh surprised him, and the older boy assured him that he was joking. They felt into a comfortable silence, until the rest of the boys came back with several plastic bags.

 

It wasn’t long before their train arrived, and SeungCheol waited until all of them got on the train before climbing in himself. They fell asleep even before the train took off, or the majority of them did.

 

“You are not sleeping?” Jihoon asked when he looked at the seat across from him and found SoonYoung with his eyes open. The other boy smiled and shook his head. “I had coffee before we left. It’s going to be a while before I can sleep.” SoonYoung’s smile showcased how exhausted he truly felt, but Jihoon convinced himself that watching his friend’s smile and trying to read wasn’t a regular thing to do.

 

The narrow hallway between the seats separated them; all of their teammates completely passed out around them. Jihoon knew he had to look away, but something prevented him from doing so. “You should try and sleep a bit, we have time.” He didn’t know when SoonYoung turned to look at him straight in the eyes, but Jihoon felt like he was an open book for the dancer to read easily. “Don’t worry about me. I know you stayed late last night.” Jihoon remembered nodding his head before his eyelids started becoming heavy by the second.

 

A couple of hours went by, the boys waking up one by one as they neared their stop. SeungCheol started passing the snacks around, saving the ones he knew JeongHan wouldn’t share with the rest. Their cart began to pick up their noisy conversations and the occasional laughter they all shared. Everyone was happy, even if it was only for a day they were going to enjoy the most of it.

 

SeokMin finally texted Yuna when he woke up, snapping a quick picture and sending it to her with the caption ‘Still sleepy~’. She didn’t reply until all of them got off the train at Gangwon-do, telling him that her vocal lessons kept her busy. ‘My throat hurts ;;;;;’ read the message she sent after her reply. He hesitated when typing a new message and instead pressed the videocall button. It only took two rings before Yuna appeared on the screen, glasses perched on her little nose.

 

“Everyone say hi!” SeokMin called the rest of the boys as he aimed his phone screen higher, trying to fit everyone on the camera. They were quick to greet Yuna, voices overlapping and some of them pushing each other. Yuna laughed as they went on and on about their plans for their day while they exited the train station and ventured on the streets. SeokMin let the rest of the boys walk ahead of him, wanting some one-on-one time with his girlfriend. “Someday we are going to come here. Together.” He could already picture it, running down the beach with Yuna’s hand in his, laughing and enjoying the company of the other. “It’s a promise.” He showed his pinky finger to the girl, smile widening as she did the same. They said their goodbyes a bit after that, Yuna telling him to enjoy his day off without worrying about her. SeokMin took off after pocketing his phone, reaching his teammates in no time.

 

Days fused together into weeks, and weeks melted into months. Before they realized, a new school year had already begun and the hot days gave their place to the chilly autumn ones. SeokMin still felt like the luckiest man alive, he was a few steps away from achieving his dream and he had the most beautiful girl as his girlfriend. He knew that life couldn’t be any more perfect. The couple treasured their days in school because they got see each other more often. SeokMin couldn’t always get away from practice, specially not when the CEO had hinted them about their debut possibly being next year. No empty promises this time. Yuna also had less time to spare now that she took on another vocal training class, she started looking more tired now but she assured SeokMin that it was only temporal.

 

“I want you to meet my parents.” SeokMin told Yuna one day when they were waiting for Yuna’s friends to pick her up. She was rendered speech less, gaping at SeokMin before mumbling incoherently. They had always joked around about those kinds of things, but now SeokMin meant it. “The company will give us two days during winter to visit our families.” He began to explain, fidgeting with the hem of his coat. “You don’t have to! If you are not sure…” Yuna smiled softly as she looked at the blush spreading over SeokMin’s entire face. “I would love to.” She took the boy’s hand and leaned in to press a kiss on the side of his mouth, racing off as her friends called her from the other side of the hallway.

 

Winter break came in the blink of an eye and the boys were welcomed with longer practices, draining them from every bit of energy on their bodies. But, as promised, they were granted a couple of days off. They couldn’t get to celebrate the actual holidays with their families, but they didn’t mind it that much given the fact they would celebrate as a group in their dorm.

 

SeokMin found himself in the train station with Chan, who was set to take the train to his own hometown. The younger had insisted on keeping SeokMin company until Yuna showed up. “My train doesn’t leave for another half an hour, don’t worry!” Were his exact words before they both claimed a bench. The sound of fast-approaching footsteps made both boys turn towards the source. “I’m sorry I’m late! I still had stuff to finish.” Yuna clutched at her chest as she tried to recover her breath, SeokMin standing up to welcome her properly. Chan cleared his throat as the couple slowly isolated themselves. SeokMin and Yuna bid their goodbyes to the youngest, all three of them pulling up their facemasks as they went on their respective directions.

 

The train ride towards his hometown went by in a flash, just like everytime SeokMin spent time with Yuna. He helped her when getting off the train, making their way through the busy station. “I told my sister to come pick us up.” SeokMin told the girl once they reached the doors to the outside and he clearly saw anxiety flash across Yuna’s eyes. “Don’t worry! She is really nice!” SeokMin started getting nervous as well. He had left his home for almost two years to become a trainee and now he came back to introduce his girlfriend to his parents. “I trust you.” Yuna took his hand once again, twinkling eyes letting SeokMin know she was smiling.

 

They didn’t wait for long before a car honked at them, SeokMin’s sister waving at the couple from the driver’s seat. SeokMin pulled Yuna by the hand, opening the door for her before he climbed inside the vehicle. His sister engulfed him in a tight hug, it had been a while since the last time they saw each other. When the older girl finally let SeokMin go, he proceeded to introduce Yuna to her. “Noona, this is Yuna.” The singer placed a hand on Yuna’s shoulder, locking eyes with her before turning towards his sister. “She is my girlfriend.” The car fell into silence for a couple of seconds before the older girl hugged Yuna as well, telling her how nice it was to finally meet her.

 

The drive to SeokMin’s house went by faster than expected, but his sister had managed to tell Yuna all the embarrassing moments from his childhood. The three of them got off the car, walking towards the main entrance. SeokMin’s sister went in first, leaving the young couple alone. “Hey…it’s okay.” SeokMin placed a soft kiss to Yuna’s forehead when he sensed the girl’s nervousness. They stared at each other for a bit, words unnecessary between them.

 

“Mom! Dad! I’m here~” SeokMin took a deep breath as he stepped in the threshold, Yuna trailing behind him. His parents were waiting in the living room, his mother standing up and running to hug his son. SeokMin felt his eyes stinging with unshed tears as he felt his mother’s arm around him, and then his father’s hand patting him on the back. Yuna remained still, watching the exchange between the family with a soft smile on her lips.

 

“Is this her?” SeokMin’s mother was the one who noticed Yuna first, letting go of his son so he could bring the girl forward. SeokMin cleared his throat before allowing himself to speak. “Mom, Dad… this is Yuna.” His hand found Yuna’s with ease. “She is my girlfriend.” Yuna made a small reverence with her head, smiling to the older couple as she introduced herself. “My name is Choi Yuna, it is my pleasure to finally meet you.” SeokMin’s other looked at the two of them before extending her arms and going towards the girl. She places her hand on Yuna’s shoulders, a radiant smile on the woman’s face. “Please take care of my boy.” Yuna nodded her head, looking at SeokMin. “I will, ma’am.”

 

The rest of the day was spent with Yuna being dragged away by SeokMin’s mother and sister to the living room, photo albums scattered all around them and only laughter being heard all around the family home. SeokMin felt as if an enormous burden was lifted from his shoulders as he looked at the girls of his life together and it was only when his father slid an arm around his shoulders that he looked away. “She looks like a good girl, son. I’m very happy for you” Father and son stood side by side, a comfortable silence surrounding them until SeokMin spoke up again. “She is perfect dad.” The older man looked at his son, who was busy gazing lovingly as Yuna went through another photo album. He smiled knowingly, hand squeezing SeokMin’s shoulder a bit tighter. “Then do not let her go, son.” SeokMin looked over at his dad, placing a hand over his dad’s. “I won’t.”

 

“She is the girl I’m going to marry.”

 

The young couple went back to Seoul when the sun was setting over the horizon, SeokMin’s mother hugging each of them before they said their goodbyes. She had also sent enough food for the rest of the boys.

 

Just like the first one, the ride home went by fairly quick. Yuna fell asleep a few minutes after the train left the station, head resting on SeokMin’s shoulder and hands entwined together. SeokMin looked down at the girl, heart beating fast as he remembered what he said earlier. He might be young, but he knew that Yuna was the one for him.

 

Christmas was spent with the boys in the dorms, takeout food littering the floor and a karaoke machine plugged into a computer screen. SeokMin and SeungKwan were the ones leading the others with song after song, throats raw but hearts happy as everyone was having a blast. SeungCheol took a seat in one of the sofas, a content smile on his face as the whole team let their worries aside for a day. The company demanded more each day, perfection was just the minimum they asked from them and he tried to motivate all of the boys to give their very best and then some more. The pressure he carried with him, being named as the leader, was beyond gigantic. But he tried to show the bright side to the boys, always smiling for them to show that their dream was almost there.

 

“Hey, what you doin’ so spaced out like that?” SeungCheol looked in time to catch JeongHan flopping down next to him, legs pressing together. The older boy shook his head, ready to tell JeongHan that it was nothing. “Don’t you dare lie to me. I know you too well.” JeongHan inched closer, growing hair curtaining his face as he tilted his head towards the leader. SeungCheol found it hard to function as a normal human being when all he could think about was how pink JeongHan’s lips looked in the dimly lit living room. “Thank you, I borrowed Jisoo’s lip balm.” The long-haired boy’s grin was teasing, face even closer than before. “But that’s not what I asked for.” JeongHan’s voice turned serious and his eyes softened. SeungCheol averted his gaze, looking as the boys bickered about what song to play next, before he felt JeongHan’s hand squeezing his thigh and the leader’s resolve crumbled. He told JeongHan how happy he felt because all the boys were having fun, how he worried about their team being capable enough to bring their company up. JeongHan listened until the leader finished, catching his breath as he hung his head low.

 

“You don’t have to bottle everything up alone. I’m here as well.” SeungCheol felt a foreign hand over his own, fingers looking to lace up with his. “You are the leader, but you are not alone.” JeongHan’s voice was so soft that it could be easily lost with the boy’s ruckus, but SeungCheol heard it. His heart started beating fast against his ribcage as he looked over at JeongHan, eyes meeting each other and smiles on both boys’ faces. They didn’t realize when the others started hugging each other when midnight struck and Christmas officially arrived, because JeongHan had closed the small gap between them, soft lips brushing against one another.

 

“Come on, we said that we would exchange presents at midnight.” JeongHan extended his hand out for SeungCheol to take and together they went to join the others as they urged each other to give and take their presents.

 

When New Year’s Eve rolled around, Yuna sent SeokMin a short audio clip. “Sound cool! Is it something I might like?” He had called her after her text, missing her voice. Yuna giggled on the other line, background sounds almost overtaking her soft laugh. “Who knows~ maybe?” SeokMin raised one of his brows, looking around the dorm before sitting against the wall. “Why being so secretive all of a sudden, huh?” His voice carried a sweeter tone when he spoke to Yuna, SeungKwan had told him off for using aegyo over the phone. “I’m not! But you have to wait and see.” Yuna laughed once more before telling him that she had to go. They said their goodbyes and SeokMin didn’t really have time to ponder about what Yuna’s words meant because some of the boys arrived with supermarket bags filled with stuff for their small celebration that night.

 

2015 started with the whole team making a promise to themselves, this year would be their year, they were sure about it. They stood in a circle in the middle of the living room in their cramped dorm room, holding the person on their side’s thumb in their fist as SeungCheol gave a short speech. The company hadn’t told them that their debut would be that year, but deep inside their hearts they knew.

 

Practice next day was mandatory, so all of the boys went to bed shortly after welcoming the New Year, some of them calling home before jumping straight into bed. SeokMin checked Yuna’s message after hanging up with his mom. ‘Happy New Year SeokMin ah! I can’t wait to spend another year with you!’ SeokMin felt his heart beating faster and a warm sensation engulfed him completely. He was fast to reply to his girlfriend, making sure to reciprocate the feeling and attach enough heart emoticons to fill up the screen. He went to bed that night with a content heart and huge expectations for the starting year.

 

SeokMin had went out with SoonYoung and WonWoo for a bit, walking along the street vendors when he got a new text. ‘I TOLD YOU!’ read a text from SeungKwan. ‘Care to explain?’ he was about to pocket his phone when SeungKwan sent a link to a Naver article. He clicked on the link when SoonYoung called out for him. “Yah! Lee SeokMin! Come here!” SoonYoung’s voice sounded urgent so the vocalist didn’t hesitate to reach the other two boys, standing in front of a record store. “What happened?” SoonYoung grabbed his chin and made him look inside the store, and that’s when he saw it.

 

‘Gfriend, Season of Glass release date 15-01-15’ was the message pasted over a girl group’s picture. There were six girls with innocent looking faces and dark hair hugging and leaning into each other. But they weren’t just any kind of girls, some of them SeokMin recognized as Yuna’s friends, the ones that always came looking for her after school. But what got his attention was the girl on the furthermost right. She had long dark hair with bangs that almost reached her eyes, a soft smile that could make anyone fall in love with it. SeokMin knew this because that was the smile he fell in love with, the girl in that picture was his girlfriend. He looked down at his phone, the article SeungKwan sent him had finally loaded and it was a photo teaser in which Gfriend’s last member –main vocalist Yuju- was confirmed.

 

SeokMin stormed into the dorms, barely kicking off his shoes as he went to his shared bedroom and slammed the door shut. He could hear the others mumbling amongst themselves, but what he had to do now was call Yuna. It only took a couple of rings before his girlfriend’s soft voice picked up. “SeokMin ah~” Yuna’s smile was evident from her voice and SeokMin felt his heart beat faster than ever. “Main vocalist Yuju eh…” both sides went silent after that, only the sound of their breathing audible. “My girl is so talented.” Yuna let out a sigh of relief as SeokMin giggled on the phone. “But why didn’t you tell me before?” SeokMin laid down on his bed, playing with a loose strand in the comforter. “I thought it was pretty obvious! You knew I was a vocalist, I even sent videos and pictures of me in the practice room!” Okay, maybe SeokMin was a tiny bit dense if he didn’t connect two and two together. “I even wore a facemask when we went out!” Yuna listed a few more clues that clearly signaled that she was set to debut as an idol.

 

“I guess we have to be more careful now.” After the initial shock of the news, the couple had to figure out how to keep a low profile on their relationship. “I know…because breaking up is not an option.” Yuna’s voice was firm, but SeokMin still sensed a tiny bit of hesitation, as if she was expecting SeokMin to say otherwise. “It is not. I know we are not far along yet but…I can’t imagine myself with anyone but you.” Yuna’s breath caught up in her throat, struggling a bit before speaking a bit. “Don’t say it yet…I don’t want you to say it over the phone.” SeokMin laughed, Yuna knew him too well. “I won’t. It needs to be special.” They only talked for a few more minutes, Yuna telling him that she had to go back to practice. “I’ll kill you if you don’t watch the first broadcast.” Was her goodbye and SeokMin could only assure her that he would watch it.

 

Yuna’s group had an amazing debut, the response from the audience overwhelming and promising. SeungKwan became an instant fan and even started referring to the girls as their ‘sisters-in-law”, and the rest of the boys soon picked the habit as well.

 

Watching Yuna onstage made him feel the same way as the day he decided to become a singer, and know he was more than assured to accomplish it. “Someday I would like to sing with you on a stage.” SeokMin whispered on the phone one night, Yuna agreeing with sleepiness laced on her voice. “That would be nice…Just you and me.” Yuna was more asleep with every passing second, but her voice was so clear when she added a “Making people feel” at the end. SeokMin knew that Yuna was the girl for him.

 

Winter moved aside to welcome spring and the season bought days in which practice got more brutal and demanding. They were finally given a date –the final days of May- but it was still up to discussion. However, it didn’t fail to give the whole team a newfound energy and motivation. But, their bodies were not unbreakable. More often than not, one of them will have to sit down to recover from a twisted ankle or sip on hot tea to recover a lost voice. They were minor injuries that would feel better after a proper rest, but SeokMin knew that what he was feeling wasn’t one of those.

 

“You need to go to the hospital.” One of the managers told him after he collapsed during practice, clutching the side of his head. SeokMin had tried to hold in the discomfort for as long as possible, swallowing pain relievers when it got to be too much. But the members were worried ever since he started losing a bit of the audition in one of his ears. He climbed in one of the cars with two managers, promising the boys that he would send a text when they told him anything. They called his parents and his mother got in the next train to meet him at the hospital, his father would follow when he got out of work. SeokMin laid back on the seat, clutching his eyes shut to prevent tears from falling. He wished to every celestial being known to mankind that this wouldn’t be the end of his dream.

 

SeokMin cried in his mother’s arms when the doctor told him that surgery was the only option, the chances were of everything going perfectly were high, but the possibility of something going wrong was still there. They scheduled his surgery for next Wednesday, his practice schedules and school all cleared out until after the recovery. They arranged a small dorm room for his mother to stay with him, it was near the company which meant that some of the boys could drop by to visit. SeokMin still had to tell Yuna about it, but he was hesitant to do so because she was kept busy with promotions and he didn’t want to add another thing to her worry list. His mother was the one who told her, having gotten her number when SeokMin was asleep.

 

There was a constant knocking going on and SeokMin went to open the door, maybe some of the boys came with food. “Yuna?!” said girl stood in the hallway, face torn between anger and distress. She stomped over to SeokMin, hands hitting his chest with no force to them. “Why didn’t you tell me?! I was worried sick!” Yuna hid her face on SeokMin’s chest, facemask bunched under her chin and tears soaking her boyfriend’s shirt. He held the crying girl, hugging her with every sob that escaped her mouth and letting his tears fall down as well.

 

The couple calmed down enough to sit down, SeokMin telling Yuna everything about his upcoming surgery. “I’ll try to be there.” Yuna clutched her boyfriend’s hand tightly. “I promise.” She looked at him, eyes shiny with unshed tears but smiling as beautiful as ever. SeokMin seemed to remember something, eyes going wide as he realized that Yuna was actually there and not doing…whatever promotion she had to do. “One of the managers is waiting outside…she knows.” Yuna lowered her head, voice trembling a bit. “She told me to be careful. She won’t tell anybody!” SeokMin kissed her forehead, assuring her that it was okay. They stayed like that for a bit longer, Yuna’s phone beeping and signaling that it was time for her to go. The young couple kissed goodbye, SeokMin promising to send the details for his surgery due in a couple of days.

 

SeokMin wasn’t the only one struggling because of his situation, things at the dorm were not flowing smoothly. Everyone seemed to be on the verge of a stress collapse, and more often than not they would snap at each other. Their routine consisted of waking up, going to practice, crashing into bed and repeat. The physical exhaustion wasn’t anything compared to the emotional tiredness evident in their faces, some of them merely because of the anxiousness of their upcoming debut, but mix in personal issues with one another and you have yourself a sure deal for a restless night. SoonYoung was a victim to this, his body screamed at him to go to bed and sleep as much as he could until their alarm would go off in a few hours, but something –someone- kept him awake.

 

MingHao shuffled out of his bedroom, eyes reflecting how tired he truly felt. “Going to bed yet?” His accent was thicker when he was tired, SoonYoung found it adorable. The dancer shook his head, rearranging himself in their sofa. MingHao seemed to take this as an invitation, sitting down on the other edge of the couch. “He is not back yet?” SoonYoung huffed out a laugh, maybe he was too easy to read after all. The Chinese male looked at the elder and SoonYoung could feel his gaze on the side of his face. “You go back to bed, I’m sure it won’t be long now.” He tried to convince himself more than anyone else. “Go to bed, MingHao.” SoonYoung patted the other boy’s blonde locks, prompting him off the couch and into his bedroom. The dancer barely stood up when the doorknob twisted and the door opened, revealing a short male with yellow blonde hair. Jihoon’s widened eyes told SoonYoung that he wasn’t expecting anyone to be up when he got back.

 

“I walked Siyeon to the subway…it was pretty late. I couldn’t let her go alone at night.” Jihoon said as an explanation that no one asked for, and SoonYoung didn’t know if hearing it hurt less or more than not knowing at all. “It is pretty late. You should sleep.” SoonYoung walked towards his own shared room, stopping right before the door and looking over at Jihoon. “Just wanted to know you got back here safe.” He closed the door after himself, eyes scrunching shut and breathing trying to go back to normal before he let himself fall into bed.

 

The whole team went to visit SeokMin after his surgery, taking turns to get in his recovery room. His mother was more than happy to welcome all of them, sitting on a chair in a corner as she saw how her son smiled wider with the boys there. Yuna came in the evening, her manager waiting outside the room and only allowing a short visit. “Told you I was going to be here.” She kissed her boyfriend’s forehead, taking hold of his hand and telling about what her group was up to. Yuna left after a few minutes, bowing deeply to SeokMin’s mother and smiling at her boyfriend before pulling up her facemask and leaving.

 

SeokMin came back to the dorms when the doctor gave him the green light, welcomed warmly by the boys. They decided to sleep together in their living room, pulling out all the mattresses and sheets, catching up with everything that went down in the practice room. It looked like things were going to be calm for a bit, but their company told them that they would be doing a reality show until their debut day. Songs had to be re-arranged and dances taught and fixed for them to be ready, but they knew that they could pull it off.

 

 

“Maybe we are not ready after all…” JeongHan’s voice sounded void of any emotion and the only other sounds in the background being those of chopsticks hitting plates of food. They were eating in their practice room floor, barely leaving the place since they started filming. Everyone had started thinking like that, but no one had the guts to say it out loud. All of the boys kept on eating, getting back to practice after they didn’t fell as full.

 

Their worries only made them savor the end result better, and when the curtain revealed their parents on the stage they let emotions overflow them. SeokMin went to hug his parents, sobbing even harder as his mother placed his ring back on his pinky finger. “My boy is a singer now.” His mother’s words brought a new set of tears with them and SeokMin didn’t stop her from cleaning his face and patting his back. “Yuna told me to say how proud she is.” SeokMin hugged his mother for a bit longer before they went to introduce themselves with the rest of the boys’ families, sitting on the theater rows to watch them perform their song with tear-stricken faces and huge smiles.

 

Seventeen’s debut was well received by the public and the boys could not be any happier, they still felt exhausted every single day but the smiles on their faces showed how they truly felt. They presented each stage as if it was the last, giving themselves to the public everywhere they went and basking in the applause and cheers once they climbed down. Of course, there were days when hate comments would get to them, but they managed to stay positive thanks to SeungCheol’s cheering speeches.

 

“We are already preparing our second promotion.” Yuna excitedly told SeokMin when they spoke over the phone, going about the details she knew. Their relationship didn’t change a lot after their debuts, but they hadn’t been able to go out together. Their faces were more recognizable now and their groups were barely out there, they had to be more careful than ever if they didn’t want to initiate a scandal. SeokMin rolled around in his bed, laughing at something Yuna said, oblivious that someone was watching him from the other side of the room.

 

“SeokMin might be kind of dense, but he is going to realize you are staring sooner or later.” SeungCheol teasingly said as he sat down next to Jihoon, who jumped slightly and glared at the leader. “I’m not staring…” Jihoon knew that lying to the older boy would be of no use, they had known each other for long enough when they lied. SeungCheol didn’t push him to elaborate, but the pink haired male knew he was dying to know what went through his head. The truth was that he didn’t know either, he didn’t know why he felt this way when he saw how SeokMin laughed when talking to his girlfriend, so free and careless. So happy.

 

“Have you ever been in love?” Jihoon’s sudden question took SeungCheol off guard, making him sputter before being able to formulate a coherent sentence. “In love? I don’t…” he interrupted himself, nibbling on his lower lip as a particular breathy laugh resounded in their cramped dorm room. “Why do you ask?” Jihoon shook his head, glancing down at his hands. “It’s nothing.” The vocalist got up and walked away, leaving a confused SeungCheol on the ground.

 

Summer was soon taking spring’s place, bringing scorching sunny days and catchy songs all over the place. The months kept passing and schedules made days go by in the blink of an eye. SeokMin and Yuna had managed to go out once after Gfriend finished a recording and they were on standby near Pledis. The couple met up in a little restaurant tucked in between bigger buildings. Not many youngsters came around that district, preferring to party at Itaewon or Hongdae. SeokMin ordered for the both of them, chatting away and holding hands under the table as they waited for their food to arrive. They even recorded a short video when “Me gustas tu” was played on the restaurant’s radio, uploading it to Seventeen’s group chat. Yuna laughed as she read the several variations of ‘So jealous’ ‘Are you eating ddeokbokki?!’ ‘Say hi to Yuna!’. They wrapped up their impromptu date and said their goodbyes before Yuna went away with her manager.

 

It was the last week of September when a certain clip went viral worldwide, which meant that SeokMin saw it being played everywhere they went. He felt his anger boil everytime someone posted the video with a hateful comment towards Yuna. “Don’t worry too much about it…it’s fine.” His girlfriend’s soothing voice did calm him down a bit, but he still felt upset about the whole video. Yuna got injured and people overlooked that. “But I saw how bruised your knees were!” SeokMin had insisted on videochatting that night, and SeungKwan had commented about how cute the couple looked with their glasses when he walked in the room. Yuna giggled as SeokMin puffed out one of his cheeks. “They are not as bad anymore, don’t worry. It really helped my group…that’s why I’m thankful” She was set on her opinion and SeokMin knew that she wasn’t going to budge, that was something he loved about her. “I have to go now. Recording is early tomorrow.” She blew him a goodnight kiss before ending the call, SeokMin a bit more reassured after Yuna told him she was fine.

 

Award season began and everyone felt like big stars while walking down the red carpets, but the biggest surprise came when they got to win some of the Newcomer Awards. The special stages were a thing they enjoyed just as much, having to share a stage with a group they got along really well was more than they could ask for. And it made SeokMin wonder if someday they could have a joint stage with Yuna’s group. “You just want a duet stage.” SeungKwan sassily remarked when they rode the van back towards their hotel, several agreements heard from the members riding in the same car as them. SeokMin would be lying if he hadn’t imagine himself and Yuna singing onstage together, even if people didn’t know they were together. Now that he thought about it, Yuna and himself hadn’t talked about telling their superiors about their relationship yet. It got pushed further and further away as their groups grew in popularity. SeokMin had to admit that thinking about the possible consequences made him feel a bit uneasy. He didn’t get to sleep much that night.

 

End of the year programs stopped them from going home for the holidays, but it also meant that SeokMin could welcome the New Year with his members AND Yuna at the same time. He had it all planned out, as the countdown took place he would slowly make his way towards Yuna. Sure, it was easier said than done. His group stood on one of the stage’s sides and Gfriend was almost on the other side. SeokMin greeted everyone he came across, bowing and smiling, picking up his pace when the countdown truly began.

 

10

 

9

 

8

He was almost there, he already saw Yuna smiling animatedly with her friends.

7

 

6

 

5

Yuna’s friends saw him first, exchanging knowing glances before they somewhat made a human barrier, shielding a confused Yuna from the rest of the crowd.

4

 

3

 

2

 

1

 

“Happy New Year.” SeokMin whispered as he wrapped his arms around Yuna, kissing her on the cheek before sprinting back towards his own group. Yuna covered her face with her hands, blushing after the kiss and with the girls’ teasing comments and whistles.

 

 

People say that there are certain things that you have to live before you die, but SeokMin is completely sure that being kidnapped to an island with only a Ziploc back with some toiletries and his glasses is not one of them. However, that was their current situation. The boys still had to accept the fact their suitcases got taken away alongside their wallets and cellphones. Some of them looked on the bright side, sharing what may be waiting for them in the island; but some of them –Jihoon to be specific- radiated a dark aura of crankiness that not even SoonYoung attempted to break.

 

Once they settled down on their temporary house and managed to get dinner done, they started to get ready for bed. Their bodies seemed to weight tons because of the exhaustion that seeped through every bone. Almost everyone was out cold, soft snoring and the shuffle of blankets being the only thing audible inside the cramped room.

 

SoonYoung found himself staring up to the ceiling with his eyes wide open, unable to fall asleep at the moment. SeokMin was snoring from where he slept right next to him, he still worried about not being able to tell Yuna about their current situation. He had a mini crisis when they took their cellphones without an approximate for when they would be back, and it was worse since he couldn’t just tell a manager to let his girlfriend know about all of this. SeokMin was still single in the eyes of the whole staff. But all of that didn’t seem to bring the main vocalist insomnia.

 

“Lucky bastard.” SoonYoung mumbled as he sat up, looking around at the rest of the boys sleeping in the same room as him. He let out a deep sigh before standing up and making his way to the door heading to the yard. SoonYoung slid the door as quiet as he could, stepping outside into the chilly night.

 

“I thought I was the only one who couldn’t sleep.” SoonYoung almost jumped in fright as he looked around until he found Jihoon sitting down on the porch deck. Both boys looked at each other until the shorter male turned his face away. SoonYoung sat down next to the other boy, legs grazing each other before the dancer settled down. He knew that Jihoon had to be really tired if he didn’t snap at SoonYoung for sitting so close to him, or maybe he was cold and the closeness provided just a tiny bit of extra warm.

 

Silence surrounded them and SoonYoung found himself liking it, maybe he just liked being close to Jihoon. Maybe he just liked Jihoon. The dancer let a breathy laugh scape from his lips, wrapping his arms tighter around himself.

 

“Do you think it would get better?” Jihoon’s voice broke the silence and SoonYoung turned to look at him, an easy smile spreading across his face. “Are you scared?” He didn’t know what he was trying to get by teasing the shorter male, but the hint of a smile in Jihoon’s lips was enough for him to continue. “I’ll be happy to be your knight in shining armor.” Jihoon jammed at his side with his elbow, SoonYoung deserved it.

 

Jihoon stood up, kicking the dancer before sliding the door open. “Come on, moron, I don’t want to freeze to death.” SoonYoung scrambled to get up and follow the other boy inside, trying his best to keep his laughter silent.

 

It did get better, they slowly adapted to the situation and began to cook their own food. They all began to enjoy being on the island, even Wonwoo who couldn’t really eat everything they prepared, but Mingyu was always there with a little something the older boy could eat.

 

SeokMin managed to let Yuna know where they were, more like he told his mother over the phone if she could do it. She agreed easily. And now they were savoring the last couple of days of their retreat, a newfound happiness overcoming them as they reunited with their luggage. Even Jihoon laughed more freely after being able to change his clothes, SoonYoung couldn’t get enough of the shorter male’s teasing laugh resounding in the house. The dancer wouldn’t tell anybody, but the night the two of them sat down in the backyard was still fresh in his memory and he wondered when it would happen again. Jihoon might have liked it as well since he didn’t hide his smile when SoonYoung did something dumb or funny, it made the dancer’s heart feel warmer than ever.

 

SoonYoung let himself bask in the glow of it, and maybe he should have worried about when it would end.

 

They were back in the practice room after coming back from the island, the company welcoming them with their new release date. They were excited about being able to promote again, but it meant that both Jihoon and SoonYoung had to work harder than ever if they wanted to succeed the fan’s expectation with their new material.

 

It was a particularly cold night when SoonYoung packed his bag, ready to leave for the dorms. He walked past Jihoon’s studio and wondered if the other boy planned to stay another night in there, with the answer being an obvious ‘yes’ the dancer decided to prepare a cup of coffee for the vocalist. He wasn’t as good as Mingyu when it came to coffee, but he knew that Jihoon’s signature order –black coffee with two sugars- couldn’t be as difficult as his own order –basically milk with coffee and three sugars-

 

SoonYoung managed to open the door while he held both cups, foregoing knocking since he knew that Jihoon didn’t like anyone in the studio while he worked.

 

“Hey, I thought that you could use som-“

 

Jihoon’s deer caught in headlights was what welcomed SoonYoung when the dancer walked in the studio. That and Siyeon with her hand hovering over Jihoon’s cheek. SoonYoung just stood in the doorway, eyes fixed on the close proximity between the other two people in the room.

 

“Sorry for the intrusion. I thought that you would like some coffee.” SoonYoung looked away, trying to maintain his voice void of any emotion as he placed Jihoon’s cup on the table. “I’ll be leaving now.” The dancer closed the door as he exited, grabbing his bag and running into the dark night. The coldness of the air felt as if a bunch of needles went in his lungs as he panted while running, but he couldn’t feel anything.

 

SeokMin felt like he was on cloud nine when he looked at how happy his girlfriend was. They had went out to celebrate the fact that Yuna’s group achieved their first triple-crown, both of them wearing their face mask as they eat anything they set their eyes on in the street vendors. Yuna kept smiling even as she had sauce smeared on her chin after eating.

 

“I’m so proud of you.” SeokMin whispered as he held the girl close, the night’s chilly air being the perfect excuse to hug each other as much as they wanted. Yuna let her head rest on her boyfriend’s shoulder, a deep sigh leaving her lips as she closed her eyes. The couple had went to the Han River since it was practically empty given the fact that it was a weeknight. It was night like these what they treasured the most, it made them feel like they were just a boy and a girl out on a date, not Seventeen’s Dokyeom and Gfriend’s Yuju hiding their relationship from the eyes of their fans.

 

“Stop overthinking, I can practically hear your thoughts.” Yuna looked up at her boyfriend, white face mask bunched down her chin. SeokMin locked eyes with the girl, smiling before taking a deep breath. He held his girlfriend a bit tighter as they looked over at the lights illuminating one of the bridges.

 

“I think I’m gonna tell my managers about us.” SeokMin finally broke the silence after a couple of minutes passed with neither of them saying a word. Yuna lifted her head as she pressed one of her gloved hand against the boy’s cheek, lips leaving a chaste kiss on the corner of SeokMin’s mouth. “I’m sure that it would make everything better.” They held each other’s hand for the rest of their date, Yuna’s phone going off signaling that she had to leave. Yuna reassured her boyfriend that he was making the right choice before she walked towards her manager’s car, SeokMin waving at her until he could no longer see the car.

 

SeokMin wasn’t the one to usually get nervous, not since he auditioned, but right now he had to constantly wipe his trembling hand on his pants while he waited for the manager to finish talking on the phone. He was set on telling his manager about his relationship with Yuna, feeling that it would take a weight off hi shoulders.  Yuna had come clean to her managers a while back, it was only fitting for him to do the same as well. Of course, everything was easier said than done.

 

“You wanted to tell me something?” This it, SeokMin thought as his manager pocketed his cellphone and gave him his full attention. The vocalist remained silent, frozen in his place until he saw the smile that made him fall in love and knew that he had to do this.

 

“Yeah…Hyung, I…”

 

 

He was reprimanded heavily at first, both by the manager and the CEO, but his contract didn’t contain a ‘No dating’ clause and there was nothing they could do about it. They dismissed him with a strict warning about keeping a low profile regarding his relationship.

SeokMin arrived at the dorms feeling lighter than he had felt that morning, a few tears running down his cheeks as he dialed Yuna’s number and let a voice message once she didn’t pick up.

 

“They know. I love you. Call me later.”

 

The vocalist pressed his phone against his chest, closing his eyes and letting everything sink in. He didn’t care if the rest of the boys saw him crying, because he wasn’t sad. He was happy. He had never been happier.

 

The boys kept practicing for their upcoming comeback, spending long hours in the company to finish up the new title track, or trying to do so. The song was on the finishing touches, thanks to Jihoon working non-stop in his studio, but the choreography still had some parts left in the air. SoonYoung wasn’t being himself lately, but no one knew what really happened to dim the bright light that was Kwon SoonYoung. The dancer still engaged in the usual bickering with SeungKwan and SeokMin, but he had started zooning out more. He refused the late night visits to the convenience store with some of the boys, claiming that he was tired.

 

SoonYoung was going through a dancer’s block. The choreography was missing the key point, that little something that would make everyone remember the song. He had come up with ideas, but none of them seemed to fit in quite yet. SoonYoung knew he could do it and that’s why he was getting more frustrated each day.

 

“Maybe you need to let loose.” Jun suggested when SoonYoung halted practice once again, giving a 5 minute break to the boys. “Get rid of whatever that’s holding you back.” SoonYoung didn’t know if the rest of the boys were aware that his light had started to dim ever since that accident in the studio. He wished that it was that easy to just turn the page and be himself again. But he knew that he had been in too deep since God knows when.

 

“I think you’re right.” SoonYoung answered the Chinese dancer after practice was considered over, and Jun arched one of his brows, unaware of what the other referred to. “I need a distraction.” A mischievous glint in JunHui’s eyes made SoonYoung gulp audibly and he began to re-consider his decision. The latter looked away in time to see Jihoon excusing himself from the practice room and into the studio. “I need to let go.”

 

SoonYoung didn’t give Jun enough credit, he had pictured the Chinese male to take him to some shady place to distract him in ways worthy of Dispatch’s front page and not the hipster coffee house they were currently sitting at.

 

“I know how to be a sane human being from time to time.” Jun smirked over the rim of his cappuccino, foam catching on his upper lip. SoonYoung felt his laughter bubbling up from his chest and out his lips as he looked at the other male. He didn’t try to hold it in, letting his body shake with every laugh and giggle that made his eyes tear up. He was letting loose, getting rid of his worries and just having fun. SoonYoung wiped his eyes with the back of his hands once he calmed himself down, sipping on his overly-sweet strawberry Frappuccino. Jun kept looking at him, smirk now replaced with a soft smile and foam already cleaned off.

 

“You were right…I needed that.” SoonYoung let his head rest against the back of the couch where they sat, eyes looking up at the ceiling and chest still heaving with the last dregs of his laughter. JunHui remained silent, finger tracing the sides of his mug and teeth worrying his lower lip. “All the boys were worried about you, and I was the only one with the balls to do something.” SoonYoung always liked that Jun was so straightforward, no sweetener needed for his words. “And also…” Jun trailed off, looking down at his half-empty drink, making SoonYoung nervous all of a sudden.

 

“I know about Jihoon.” SoonYoung’s heartbeat quickened, eyes widening as he looked at the other boy with nervousness evident in his whole body. “Don’t worry. I won’t tell anyone.” Jun was quick to reassure the younger dancer, placing his hand on SoonYoung’s thigh. “Your secret’s safe with me.” And with that, JunHui leaned back down against the couch, taking his mug with him. SoonYoung stayed silent for a while, playing around with the straw in his beverage.

 

“How did you find out?” Jun smiled at the question, sipping his drink before setting the now empty mug down. “I sometimes think that you don’t give us enough credit, MingHao and me, I mean. We might not speak up a lot…but we are good observers.” JunHui stretched his long limbs before he lifted his left leg, setting it don on top of SoonYoung’s right thigh.

 

“Do that again.” SoonYoung’s eyes widened almost comically, Jun tried to hold in his laughter as he saw how serious the other boy was. The Chinese male repeated his action, draping his leg over SoonYoung once again. The Korean dancer stood up abruptly, gathering up his things and making a bee line for the door, leaving a flabbergasted JunHui behind.

 

It turned out that SoonYoung found the inspiration to complete their new choreography, presenting it to the rest of the members and feeling proud of himself when their excitement showed up on their faces. Even Jihoon smiled at him when their eyes met.

 

Their efforts paid off as they stood on Show Champion’s stage completely frozen as they were announced as the Champion Song of the week. No one knew what to do or what to feel in that instant, and their numbness came down as their song was played for them to sing an encore. SeungCheol was supposed to give their acceptance speech, but the words died down inside his throat as the tears finally streaked down his face. All of them tried their best to fight back the tears, but some of them just crumbled down.

 

SeokMin saw how Jihoon tried to stand in the back and hide his crying face from the camera, he heard SoonYoung balling his eyes out and SeungKwan sobbing behind his hands. Their stage was finally theirs as the rest of the groups stepped down and their new promotional song kept on playing.

 

On the van ride to the dorms, some of them finally shed the tears they held in during the show, some even cried on their phones while talking to their parents about how they finally did it. SeokMin had received a text from his mother and sister –a picture of them in front of their TV while they pointed at Seventeen receiving their trophy on the screen- but what made him feel warm inside was the call he received from Yuna. It had been short since Yuna was filming with her group, but she had told SeokMin how proud she was. “And, just so you know…I love you too.” SeokMin knew that he must have been flying over cloud nine when those words reached his ears, his heart soaring up above the skies.

 

“You forgot to tell her I said hi.” JeongHan whispered from where he sat next to SeokMin, SeungCheol’s head nestled in the crook between his shoulder and neck. The younger vocalist smiled widely, looking at his phone –his wallpaper a photo of Yuna and him taken during one of their first dates- “You must really love her.” JeongHan’s smile carried that softness that usually only appeared when SeungCheol paid him extra attention.

 

“She is the girl I’m going to marry.” His voice showed how certain he was on his decision, turning his head in time to catch JeongHan amused eyes. “You just wait and see.” Their conversation ended at that, SeokMin dreamily sighing as he let his eyes finally close for the rest of the ride.

 

The response they got for the promotions was better than expected and the company was now preparing their first ever repacked album, with a special edition as well! But not everything went according to the plan.

 

Wonwoo had to go on hiatus to fully recover after he collapsed and had to be taken to the hospital. This decision took its toll on everyone, but Mingyu obviously resented it more. His usually bright personality and dumb jokes dimmed when Wonwoo left their dorm to go and recover at home.

 

The rest of the boys did their best in order to maintain the team’s spirits up, SeokMin and SoonYoung looking for new ways to cheer the boys up. They had to be at their best to fulfill the fans’ expectations for their repacked album.

 

Yuna’s group also made their comeback, their song debuting high in all of the music charts. ‘I’m jealous…’ SeokMin sent his message alongside a funny emoticon. ‘But I’m happy that I’ll get to see you at recordings~’ Yuna sent a blushing sticker as a reply. It was true, everytime their groups ended up promoting at the same time they would smile at each other whenever they could, their fellow members teasing them afterwards.

 

Their repacked album was deemed a success, the fans loving it to no end. But, in the end it was Gfriend who swiped with all of the awards with their new song. The boys weren’t discouraged, they happily congratulated the girls before they had to do their encore.

 

The whole group climbed down the stage and waved towards the camera, come of them congratulating Gfriend as ‘Navillera’ played on the background. SeokMin stayed behind and waited until he could approach the camera and whisper a congratulary message for Yuna, being careful enough to use her stage name. He knew the netizen had begun to notice their closeness ever since their graduation photos were revealed, even a clip in which he stood next to Yuna while they bid farewell to their homeroom teacher. Yuna had sent him a picture in which he stood right in the middle of Yuna’s friends, an uncomfortable expression on his face. She had laughed at it for a minute straight.

 

“The fans are starting to ship you and Yuna.” SeungKwan had mentioned at dinner one night, the whole table bursting into laughter as the main vocalist showed some edited pictures the fans uploaded in the web. “Some of them even started a thread listing reasons why you should get married.” SeokMin smiled knowingly, filling his mouth with dinner.

 

Another reason for them to practice harder was their upcoming concert. The venue was bigger than the last one, and the concept was more ambitious. They planned to do a complete contrast between one show and the other, aiming to portray their different faces to the fans. Wonwoo was going to be at the concert, it would be his comeback after he received the approval from the doctor. They were all very thrilled to finally stand as a whole once again.

 

But, SeokMin had other things wandering around in his head ever since Yuna took him to meet her parents. It had been a really short meeting, probably only lasted a couple of hours since their schedules were packed. Fortunately, Yuna’s parents instantly liked SeokMin, recognizing him from when they watched the music broadcasts. Yuna’s father even had a private talk with him, asking SeokMin to treat Yuna with the respect she deserved and to never fail to make her happy. “Making her happy is everything I want.” Yuna’s parents gave them their blessing once they had to leave, but not before they took a picture together.

 

SeokMin had known that he wanted to get marry ever since he was a little kid, but that had been postponed when he pursued his singing dream. He never expected to find love while also achieving his dream, and it overwhelmed him at first. But, now he knew what he wanted to do. He was certain that Yuna was the girl that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with, the only one he wished to make happy for as long as they were granted life.

 

Choi Yuna was his soulmate, Lee SeokMin was completely sure.

 

“Hyung…Can I have a word with you?” SeokMin asked SeungCheol when they were given a five minute break, the leader was quick to agree to his request and both boys ventured out towards the company’s roof.

 

“What is it that you wanted to-“ “I want to propose to Yuna.” SeungCheol froze when the vocalist interrupted him, eyes widening before he laughed out loud while clutching his stomach. “Lee SeokMin, you truly are something…” the older male wiped at the stray tears that clung to his eyelashes, but the seriousness around SeokMin made him reconsider what the other had told him.

 

“Wait…you are serious.” SeokMin just nodded, a convinced expression settling in his facial features. SeungCheol took a deep breath, leaning against one of the railings. Of all of the things he expected SeokMin to tell him, this was nowhere near his list of possibilities.

 

“When?” SeungCheol didn’t know what to ask, so he just settled for one of the basics. SeokMin looked at the leader’s eyes, voice firm as he answered. “I want to do it at the concert. And I need your help to arrange it.”

 

SeokMin was talking with Yuna one night after the boys came back from their concert rehearsal. “I want you to be at the concert…” he pouted cutely at his girlfriend –they had decided to videochat- and Yuna rolled her eyes at him before giggling. “I would love to go! But…” the girl bit her lip as she explained the reason why she might not make it to Seventeen’s concert. Gfriend had been scheduled to attend KCon in Los Angeles and the dates were the same as the boys’ concert. “Everything would have been better if you had gone to New York as well…” Yuna laughed as she recalled SeokMin’s sulking face when they were notified that their groups were not scheduled at the same even, SeokMin had already planned a set of places that he wanted to visit with his girlfriend if they went to New York for KCon.

 

“But you have to be there! It wouldn’t be the same without you…” SeokMin was trying his best to convince Yuna to attend the concert, the real reason being that everything was already set up and all that was left was get Yuna to assist. It took several minutes of SeokMin acting cute and almost crying for his girlfriend to promise to ask her manager about it.

 

“I must love you way too much.” Yuna’s words came out almost like a whisper, the rest of her group must be asleep already. SeokMin smiled brightly, blowing the girl a kiss as they said their goodbyes for the night.

 

The countdown for the concert went by in a blur, all of the boys giving up on sleep to focus on perfecting even the smallest of details. Even if they had to be professional with the rehearsals, they couldn’t help cracking up when they went over the special song prepared for the first day of concert, when their “sweet” side was the main focus. They memorized the setlist by now, but only the thirteen boys and a couple of music technicians knew of the special surprise for that day.

 

SeokMin began to stay behind at the company to practice his song, lyrics already embed in his mind. He would be lying if he said that emotions overtook him more than once as he imagined himself actually carrying out his plan. Yuna had been granted permission to stay for the concert, ‘family issues’ being the reason given to the rest of the staff. She was set to join her group a couple of hours later. SeokMin thanked every celestial being out there when she told him the good news.

 

It was down to one day until the first day of their concert, and none of the boys had problems sleeping, except for SeokMin. He exited his room and went to their small kitchen, dialing his home telephone and praying that his mom picked up. Gladly, she did.

 

“SeokMin ah…is everything okay?” SeokMin teared up almost instantly, assuring his mother that he was perfectly fine. “I’m just so happy right now.” He knew that his mother was smiling on the other side of the line, whispering sweet words to him. “Your father and I are so proud of you, my son. And I know that Yuna feels the same way we all do.” His mother always made him feel at ease, and SeokMin went to bed with a warm feeling in his chest.

 

The fans were going crazy even before the concert began, their chanting audible all the way into the dressing rooms. They had only ten minutes before showtime, and the thirteen of them held hands backstage as SeungCheol went on with one of his encouraging speeches. They were complete once again and they knew that they were invincible that way. All of them held hands until one of the staff members came by to escort them towards the stage, the fans’ screaming deafening as they moved closer and closer.

 

SeokMin found Yuna as soon as he stood onstage, her bright eyes giving away that she was smiling behind her white facemask. She was sitting down with the other members’ guest, all of them guarded with extra security to avoid getting their pictures taken. He mouthed an ‘I love you’, eyes never leaving his girlfriends’.

 

The mood inside the venue grew hotter with each song, the fans going crazy with every single thing they did. Soon, it was time for “Sweet Seventeen” to begin, which meant that the special act of the night was closer with every passing second.

 

“You can still back out if you want to.” SeungCheol grasped SeokMin’s elbow before they had to go onstage for the vocal unit’s performance of a girl group song. The vocalist knew that he must look pale from the nervousness that now occupied every fiber in his whole body, but he wasn’t going to back out. “I’m going to ask that girl to marry me. Tonight. And there is no way I’m finishing this concert without doing it.” And with that, it was set.

 

SeokMin barely had a minute to change into a pure white suit that his stylist chose for him, a sweet smile on her face as she looked at him all dressed up and racing for the stage again.

 

“Are you having fun right now?!” SeokMin heard SeungKwan ask the audience, receiving a wild uproar as an answer. “I’m glad~” His heart beating against his chest almost muted out the whole sea of fans screaming for them, his hand sweating profusely as he was handed his mic and stood on the mark, waiting for the signal.

 

Yuna tried to look everywhere for SeokMin, worried ever since he walked out after his unit’s performance. “Relax, sweetheart. I’m sure he is okay.” Yuna turned to look at one of the ladies sitting beside her, two other girl accompanying her. “I know…It’s just that-“ her manager told her that they had to leave in ten minutes to catch their plane. They had already sent all of their luggage with the rest of the crew so they didn’t have to be there three hours early to document. Yuna was getting impatient, feet moving restlessly and hands clutching at each other.

 

“We are going to get ready for the next song, we’ll be right back!” The vocal unit bid their goodbyes as they rushed backstage, and a VCR was supposed to start playing if they were following the original setlist. “That’s your cue.” SeokMin nodded as he waited for the soft melody to begin alongside a special video made for the occasion.

 

‘My dream was to become the best singer out there.’ Read the text that appeared on the concert screens while the distinct melody of Noel’s “Proposal” resounded in the venue.

 

‘I wanted to make people feel.’ This time, clips of SeokMin’s predebut performance appeared after the caption, welcomed by the fan’s loud cheering. Yuna found her smile again, relaxing in her seat as she paid close attention to the screen.

 

‘I thought my life was complete.’ Snippets of SeokMin with the rest of Seventeen warmed the audience, some laughing as funny scenes were showed.

 

‘But then I met you.’ The text was the only thing on the screen this time. Yuna felt his manager tapping her shoulder, whispering that it’s was time to go. She pretended not to listen and remained on her seat.

 

‘And I knew that you were the missing piece I needed.’

 

‘So…’

 

‘Starting from today…just us two?’ Yuna laughed at the obvious relation of the words onscreen until the song actually began, SeokMin’s voice being received animatedly by the audience as he walked onto the stage dressed in a white suit.

 

Yuna never looked away from his boyfriend onstage, not even when her manager pulled her up from her elbow and began to drag her towards the exit. It was just her luck that she had to leave when it was SeokMin’s solo stage. She sighed, bowing towards the rest of the members’ guests before diligently following her manager.

 

“I wanted to apologize to the concert staff because this was not planned originally.” SeokMin talked as the melody continued playing on the background, smile evident in the way he spoke. “But I had to tell you something.” The fans were growing anxious, expectant of what their idol had to say.

 

“I met a girl a few years ago.” SeokMin began to tell his story, and the fans probably expected it to be one of his cheesy fanservice acts. “And from the moment I saw her I knew that she was the one.” Yuna and her manager were making their way towards the exit, security surrounding them to avoid photos.

 

“That girl is here right now.” The audience grew wild, some fans yelling that it was them who SeokMin was talking about, Yuna could only laugh at this. “And I think you may know who she is.” Yuna froze as she heard a certain song playing through the venue. She knew her manager heard it too, because both of them turned towards the screen just in time to see different clips of Yuna being played on the screen, the last one being of her introducing herself as Gfriend’s main vocalist Yuju. Yuna felt her heart beating at her chest to the point where it began to hurt.

 

SeokMin’s shocking confession was received with audible gasps and confused mumbling from the whole audience. He felt his whole body trembling as he brought up the mic to speak.

 

“You may know her as Gfriend’s main vocal, Yuju. But, for me…she is Choi Yuna.” SeokMin knew that he was already in too deep to go back, so he just kept going. “My girlfriend of almost three years now.” The crowd became louder after the shocking news, but Yuna didn’t hear any of it, her heartbeat so strong that it was deafening.

 

“First, I want to apologize to each one of you for keeping this secret from you…” SeokMin hung his head low, sweat dripping down his forehead and into the stage. He looked up into the blinding lights of the stage, scanning the sea of fans in front of him. His heart ached a bit as he saw some of them crying, but there was no turning back. “But I was scared, I still am.”

 

“I hope you can forgive me someday…” SeokMin went down to the floor to do a full reverence, forehead touching the stage. Yuna had to look away, letting her manager walk her closer to the exiting gate. She couldn’t bear to see his boyfriend suffering because of her. “But today I want you to help me say something important to her.” The background music hadn’t stopped playing during this whole time, and soon SeokMin began to sing once again. The lyrics contained such raw emotions that Yuna felt her eyes starting to sting as the key points of the song reached her ears.

 

_You don’t have to cry._

_I will make you smile._

 

She felt as if SeokMin singed right next to her, or over one of their many phone calls and videochats. She knew that she could never love another person as much as she loved the man that was brave enough to tell his fans how much he loved her. “Wait! I have to stay…” Yuna let go of her manager, who turned to look at her with a scandalized look on her face. “Until he finishes the song…please.” Her manager hesitated for a few seconds, but in the end she let Yuna stay for a bit longer.

 

“Choi Yuna, I’ve been meaning to tell you something for a while now.” SeokMin stopped singing once again, nervousness evident as he looked everywhere into the crowd, trying to find Yuna. “I know that we are still young, that we have a long way to go ahead of us.” Yuna walked closer to the stage, lowering her facemask as her eyes found SeokMin’s. “But I’m sure that I want you by my side now…and until forever.” Yuna’s heartbeat was loud in her ears, her face heating up as one of the spotlights in the venue pointed at her.

 

“Choi Yuna, will you marry me?”

 

Air immediately left her lungs, her head spinning as she took in what SeokMin had just asked. She looked straight at his boyfriend, who now presented her a box with a ring on it; then, she looked around at all of the fans that probably wanted her dead by now. She snapped out of her stupor when her manager pulled her out of the venue and into the car that was supposed to take her to the airport. Everything was a blur, her head pounding and breathing becoming a hard task to do.

 

SeokMin was certain that everything was going to go out of control because of his stunt, but he didn’t care right now. He was worried, and he was impatient. He desperately needed to hear an answer from Yuna, but he also wanted to know that she was safe and sound.

 

The concert went back to the arranged setlist, a VCR now playing on the big screens and the performance unit getting ready to go onstage. The rest of the members tried talking to him, asking if he was alright. But, it wasn’t until his phone lit up with a new phone call that SeokMin snapped back into action.

 

The call connected and everything that SeokMin heard was Yuna crying on the other end of the line, mumbling apologies and telling him that he was a big dummy. Yuna’s words carried no heat with them, they made SeokMin smile even if he felt his eyes watering. “You didn’t answer me.” SeokMin asked after Yuna calmed down, his own heart picking up speed as he uttered the words. “You just left.”

 

“I texted, called and sent you pictures everyday for almost a year before we started going on dates. I kissed you after you freaked out because somebody recognized you. I met your whole group and your family.” Yuna’s voice became more serious as she went on, listing all the things that she had shared with SeokMin during their time together. “I was there with you before and after your surgery, sneaking out from the dorms and risking being spotted by the paparazzi when we went out together after our schedules. I ditched my flight to LA with the group to attend your concert.” Yuna took a deep breath, swallowing the lump that had formed in her throat.

 

“After all of this, tell me…do you still need an answer?” SeokMin didn’t know if she expected him to say ‘yes’ or ‘no’, but he stayed frozen as fresh tears rolled down his cheeks. He recalled every moment that Yuna mentioned, and even those that she didn’t. But what made him feel like the luckiest man alive were her next words.

 

“Because it would be ‘yes’. Yes, Lee SeokMin, I want to be your wife.”

 

* * *

 

**Author's Note:**

> \+ [Look at this and tell me they are not dating](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbaPBzPfO1c) They love each other.
> 
>  
> 
> When I (DerpyDots) began to write the first chapter I pictured it to be 5k-7k TOPS...guess it went over that, huh? 
> 
> There were so much scenes that I wanted to include (every interaction between Yuju and DK tbh) but I had to control myself ;; 
> 
> I'm deeply sorry for breaking SoonYoung's heart like that! But it would get better as the story goes, I promise.
> 
> We want to thank everyone that took their time to read this first chapter and we hope that you stick around until we reach the end of this baby!
> 
> Kudos and comments are always welcomed. And, if you have suggestions or just want to leave your opinions...feel free to do so~


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